Here With Me
by flotternz
Summary: Jack has been abducted by a new Goa'uld Bastet and Sam is pregnant and trying to cope with him being missing. Will the love of her friends help her through this difficult time, and when they find Jack will their love be enough to heal Jack's battered soul


Here With Me  
By Flotternz and Tarra O'Neal - flotternz@yahoo.co.nz and   
IrishLas413@msn.com  
RATING: PG/PG13  
  
WARNINGS: Angst, Mild violence, Angst, Torture, did we mention Angst?!  
  
CATEGORY: Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Angst  
  
PAIRINGS: Sam/Jack, Daniel/Janet  
  
SPOILERS: Stargate the Movie, COTG, Broca Divide, Solitudes, Singularity,   
Cold Lazarus, In The Line Of Duty, Point Of View, The Devil You Know, A   
Hundred Days, Shades Of Grey, Maternal Instinct, Nemesis, Divide &   
Conquer, Beneath The Surface, Entity, Tangent, Desperate Measures, and   
possibly a few more that we can't recall.   
  
TIME FRAME: Final Part in the Last Breath Series. Sequel to "Looking   
Through Your Eyes" and"More Than Anyone Deserves"; Season 5 (After   
Desperate Measures) Alternate Timeline.  
  
SUMMARY: Jack has been abducted by a new Goa'uld Bastet and Sam is   
pregnant and trying to cope with him being missing. Will the love of her   
friends help her through this difficult time, and when they find Jack   
will their love be enough to heal Jack's battered soul?  
  
ARCHIVE: Dyiallias II - , S/J   
archive, Jackfic ... anywhere else please ask.  
  
DISCLAIMER: Sadly we don't own SG-1, or that lovely graying, brown eyed   
Colonel...*sigh*! Oh woe are we!! Anyways... Stargate SG-1 and its   
characters are the property of Stargate Productions, MGM/UA, Viacom,   
Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions and the Showtime and/or Sci   
Fi networks. No infringement is intended to the above parties. This is   
for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. The   
original characters, situations, and story are the property of the   
author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the   
author.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Song credits – Inspired by the song "Here With Me" by   
Michelle Branch, also contains lyrics from the songs "When You Get Used   
To Somebody" by Tim McGraw and "Everywhere" by Michelle Branch. Much   
thanks goes out to Hoodat!! Thanks for being our beta! You're the bomb!   
Hugzzzzzzzz!!!!  
  
FEEDBACK: SWEET!!! We love feedback!! The more we get, the more we write,   
and everyone's happy!! :)  
  
*******************  
  
"Here With Me"  
The cold, flat edge of the knife slid across the skin of his chest. Jack   
squeezed his eyes shut, trying to not show any fear; it only led to pain-   
pain that he was beginning to not handle very well.   
  
It felt as if he was being torn limb from limb. Slowly. Painfully.   
Excruciatingly.  
  
His arms were stretched above him and strapped to the Wheel of Torture,   
as he dubbed it earlier, and that is the only way it could be described.   
His legs were treated in a similar manner, stretched far apart and   
secured at the base of the large, cold, metal wheel contraption.   
  
The sweat pouring down his body and seeping into his open wounds   
intermingled with his blood, which only added to his pain. He had given   
up protesting long ago. His voice had grown hoarse, and it hurt to talk.   
It took too much effort to get out even one word. So that was when his   
questions ceased also. Not that it mattered; they never answered him   
anyway. They just sneered that snaky sneer and continued torturing him.  
  
The guard came and stood in front of him again. He held out his palm.   
  
//No! Not again!//  
  
The pulsating glow began. Again. The thrumming started in his temples and   
engulfed his entire head. His head involuntarily whipped back as the   
piercing pain spiked through his head.   
  
//Please stop. Please stop. Please stop. STOP!//  
  
He heard an otherworldly scream echo between the walls. He wished that   
whoever or whatever that was would stop. It was hurting his head. Then he   
realized it was himself.  
  
Images started flashing through his mind. This was when the nausea began.   
The images would always fly around his head, spinning and skipping in   
front of his eyes. Never stopping.   
  
Then they stopped. And one image settled in his mind. He expected it to   
flash away at any moment. He expected more pain.   
  
The image was fuzzy at first, but then it materialized into a woman. A   
beautiful, blond haired, blue-eyed woman. He knew her from somewhere, but   
where?  
  
The image changed again, but in slow motion this time, making it easier   
on his pounding head.   
  
He was standing in a room. A meeting room. A ... a ... briefing room. He   
was surrounded by other men in blue uniforms, gathered around a table.   
They were all looking at him, waiting. What were they waiting for? He   
looked toward the open doorway. A form was standing there, shifting   
nervously in the shadows. The form finally walked in, confidently.  
  
Then he saw her. Her. The beautiful woman. With blond hair. And blue   
eyes. And she was smiling. Smiling at him?   
  
The image shifted once again. This time to a cave. An icy, dark cave. He   
was lying on the cold, hard floor of the cave. He was hurt. Numb.   
Uncaring anymore. Then she was in front of him again. She looked as worse   
for wear as he was, but she was smiling. At him.   
  
The intensity of the sharp pain in his head nearly overtook him, his   
images darkening. But he would not give in. He had to keep her in his   
sight. She made him feel no pain. She made him feel invincible.  
  
Her face became clearer. Her smile became brighter. The pain diminished   
to the darkest corner of his mind.   
  
The woman...what is her name...came closer to him. She was standing   
nearly in front of him. She was saying something. What is she saying?  
  
"Jack"  
  
Jack? Who's Jack, he thought. Oh wait. He knew that name too. That was   
his name. Jack. I'm Jack. He had to keep reminding himself.  
  
//"Jack, I..."//  
  
Her voice kept fading in and out. He had to hear her voice. He had to   
hear what she was saying. He had a feeling it was important, whatever it   
was she was saying.   
  
//"Jack, I love you."// She smiled.   
  
She smiled. At him. She loved him. //Who is she?//  
  
He couldn't remember her name. Why couldn't he remember her name? He knew   
he loved her. That much was obvious. The way she made him feel, the way   
she looked at him, smiled at him. Loved him.   
  
He could feel himself reciprocating those feelings, and reacting to them.   
His heart skipped a beat whenever she smiled at him, whenever he thought   
about her smile. He couldn't remember anything specific, yet he knew he   
should. It was tormenting him. What kind of man was he if he couldn't   
remember the name of the woman he loved?  
  
She reached out and took his hand. She laid his hand against her stomach   
where a small mound was apparent. He could feel her warm skin against his   
hand, and something more. The skin under his hand moved. His eyes flew to   
hers. She smiled.  
  
"Our baby," she said.   
  
Jack felt it again. A light little kick from the inside of her womb.   
Baby. His baby. Their baby! He smiled, or he thought he did. He wasn't   
sure of much of anything right now, except for the fact that the woman he   
loved was having his baby.   
  
All too soon though, he was yanked away from his pleasant surroundings   
and back to the pain-enthralled torture chamber. The suddenness of the   
pain of his body and his heart caused a gut wrenching sob to escape his   
mouth. Jack cut it off quickly knowing that any emotion shown only fueled   
the sick twisted minds of his tormentors. His mind drifted into the all-  
consuming blackness that guaranteed at least a short escape from the   
pain.  
  
*******************  
  
Sam sat in the rocking chair in the baby's room. The lights were off and   
the room was chilled, but she didn't seem to notice or care.  
  
//He's been captured by Bastet.//  
  
The words were a lament, echoing through her head, torturing her.   
  
//Captured by Bastet.//  
  
Two months and they were still no closer to finding him. She didn't even   
know if he was alive.   
  
I thought I felt you touch my cheek this morning  
But I musta been dreamin'  
  
Tears slid unbidden down her cheeks. She felt so alone without him, the   
house felt so empty. Only in this room did she feel less alone. He had   
shown her this room the night he had proposed to her, the night she   
thought they would spent the rest of their lives together.  
  
And in the middle of the night without a warning  
I thought I heard you breathin'  
  
Now, her baby probably was not going to have its father. It was so   
unfair. What had they ever done to deserve this?  
  
Me and my so-called independence  
I've got this loneliness that's so relentless  
  
She wiped at her eyes, the cool metal of her ring brushing across her   
cheek. She looked down at it, glinting softly in the moonlight that   
flowed through the window. It was a symbol of his love for her, a symbol   
of what was to be their future together.  
  
Sam still held steadfastly to the belief that he was still alive,   
somewhere out there. Even after so long, he had to be alive. She knew   
that if she ever lost that belief she would be lost forever without him.  
  
I guess you get used to somebody  
Kind of like havin' them around  
  
The tears still streamed down her cheeks. She had done this every night   
since her father had told her, retreated to this room to let out the   
emotions that she suppressed all day. She felt so useless at the SGC,   
unable to help with the search that the SG teams and the Tok'ra were   
partaking in, confined to her lab trying to study machinery that she no   
longer had any interest in studying.  
  
I guess you get used to the way they make you happy  
Bring you up when you're feeling down  
  
Her heart lay somewhere across the galaxy, and she wouldn't be complete   
until she was reunited with it once again. "Oh, Jack," she cried,   
"Please, come back to me."  
I never dreamed when I was letting you go  
That I would wake up and miss you this much  
  
There was no answer, her voice echoed hollowly in the empty room. Her   
hand drifted down to the small swell of her belly, she could feel the   
fluttering sensation that told her the baby was moving. It was comforting   
to her, to feel that little life moving inside her. At least if they   
never found him, she would have that much of Jack in her child ... their   
child.  
  
I guess you get used to somebody  
I guess you get used to being loved  
  
Janet had told her that she could tell the sex of the baby now. Sam   
didn't want to know. She wanted the sex to be one final surprise from   
Jack if he was never to come home. Oh, he has to come home. I need him.  
  
Sam sat up hopefully at the sound of a key sliding in the lock of the   
front door. Shoulders slumping miserably, she slid back down on the seat;   
they would have called her if he had been found.  
  
"Sam?"  
  
It was Daniel. She wondered if he would go away if she ignored him. For a   
brief moment she regretted giving Daniel and Janet a key to the house,   
but they had both insisted and she couldn't refuse them.  
  
"Sam? Are you there?"  
  
//Great,// she thought bitterly, //it's both of them.// She swiped at her   
face angrily. Why couldn't they just leave her alone?  
  
"I'm here," Sam croaked in reply, her voice scratchy and raw from crying.  
  
Resting her head against the padded headrest, she closed her eyes. She   
didn't want visitors, if they wanted to see her they could come to her.   
She wasn't going to go out of her way to accommodate anyone.   
  
"Here you are!" Janet's head popped around the door, a smile on her face.  
  
"What do you want?" Sam sighed.   
  
This had happened nearly every night for the last two months. She came   
home; one of them would turn up to check on her. In the beginning she   
hadn't been bothered; she knew they were worried about her and the baby.   
But now ... all she wanted was to be alone with her grief, and they   
weren't letting her do that.  
  
After the first couple of weeks, she had dropped into a deep depression.   
She kept denying the fact that Jack was gone. Her mind told her to accept   
it, but her heart refused. Even now, after two months of wondering,   
worrying, crying, and praying, she still couldn't dismiss the feeling   
down deep in her heart.  
  
Janet and Daniel had been very attentive the whole time. They hadn't let   
her leave their presence for more than a couple of hours. Janet   
had noticed her not eating and the signs of fatigue on her face. But no   
matter what she couldn't get them to go away and leave her alone. She   
knew they meant well, but if she accepted their help and aid, she might   
as well close the case so to speak of ever expecting Jack back home. And   
she couldn't do that. She couldn't and wouldn't let herself do that.  
  
Janet ignored her snappish comment and stepped into the room. "Oh Sam,   
it's freezing in here, why haven't you put the fire on?"  
  
Sam glanced up at her. Janet was standing at arms length, her face etched   
with concern. "What are you ... my mother?" she snapped angrily. "I'm not   
cold Janet. Why can't you just leave me alone?"  
  
"Because you're not looking after yourself and your baby, Sam. If we   
leave you alone who knows what will happen to the two of you. I'm your   
doctor and your friend; I can't let anything happen to you. Either of   
you."  
  
Janet squatted down in front of her, placing her hand softly on Sam's   
knee. "You have to snap out of this Sam. This is no way to live your   
live, shutting yourself away and pining for Jack. He wouldn't want to see   
you like this any more than we do."  
  
Daniel's head popped around the doorway. "I've got everything Jan," he   
said quietly, glancing in Sam's direction. "Hey Sam."  
  
Sam ignored him, focusing instead on Janet. "What does he mean by that?"  
  
Janet stood and took her hand. "You're coming with us even if we have to   
drag you out of the house kicking and screaming."  
  
Fixing her sharp gaze on Daniel, she jerked her hand away from Janet. She   
couldn't believe this. "No, I'm not going anywhere. Don't you get it? I   
just want to be alone."  
  
Janet looked at her with sorrow lighting her eyes. She couldn't stand   
seeing Sam like this. "Sam, this isn't healthy for you ... or the baby."   
  
"Why don't you understand? I want ... no ... I *have* to be here. This is   
the only place I feel near Jack." Sam said choking on a sob.  
  
Janet gathered Sam into her arms. "Just let it out Sam. Let it all out."  
  
Sam's sobs grew to heart wrenching wails as she finally let the impact of   
it all catch up to her. She realized then that she couldn't do it by   
herself anymore.  
  
*******************  
  
Daniel carefully deposited Sam's sleeping form on Cassie's bed. When   
she'd had her breakdown, she cried so long and hard that she had   
exhausted herself.   
  
Janet had been adamant about not leaving Sam there alone again, as they   
had for the past two months. Daniel had tucked Sam's bags in Janet's car   
and then carried Sam out and made sure she was settled comfortably.   
  
Janet had told him, with this being such a critical time in Sam's   
pregnancy, they would have to keep a close eye on her. Though, Janet   
didn't have to tell him, he could see for himself. It wasn't a good sign   
that she was closing herself off from her friends. Even her work, which   
used to be so important to her, was suffering.   
  
Daniel berated himself everyday for not convincing Jack to stay. He knew   
it hadn't been such a good idea for Jack to accept the mission so soon   
after his injury, and after finding out that Sam was pregnant. He should   
have taken more time to recuperate. He should have passed up the   
mission. He should have stayed with Sam. No matter how much he told   
himself that Jack was a mature adult and could make rational decisions,   
Daniel still blamed himself to a degree for letting Jack go.   
  
At first, after they found out Jack had been captured; they all thought   
it would only be a matter of time before he was recovered. Jack O'Neill   
had been through rough situations before and had always survived. Why   
should this time be any different they all thought. The only difference   
being that this time he had more at stake--a baby on the way and a   
promised marriage.   
  
Janet had come to stand next to Daniel and put her arms around him,   
without him realizing it. They looked down at Sam, knowing this had to   
be the first decent sleep she had gotten in weeks. Daniel gathered Janet   
into his arms, cherishing his own gift.   
  
Janet sighed sorrowfully. "Why is it, that when two people are meant to   
be together, they are constantly torn apart?"  
  
"I don't know hon. I can't understand it myself." He said as he pressed a   
kiss to her forehead. She leant her head against his chest. He felt a   
dampness soaking through his shirt.   
  
"I really thought that with the baby, they would finally have a chance   
for true happiness. Lord knows they needed some," Janet said through her   
tears.   
  
Daniel knew as well as she did that neither Jack nor Sam had had a   
pleasant life. After the initial shock wore off, he was ecstatic for his   
friends. If anyone deserved to be together and be happy it was Sam and   
Jack. But now, by a twist of fate, their happiness was ripped out from   
under them. All of Sam's initial worries about having to raise this   
child on her own, all came crashing back to Earth.   
  
When she first found out that she was going to have a baby, she had   
convinced herself that Jack wouldn't want anything to do with it, however   
untrue that turned out to be. Though they themselves didn't even know   
what to expect at the time, they had backed Sam's decision. They had   
been fully prepared to help her raise her baby. Then when Jack finally   
came to his senses about his whole relationship with Sam, not only was   
*he* thrilled but everyone else was too. They had still wanted to be a   
part of Jack and Sam's baby's life; they were just overjoyed that the   
baby would have its father.   
  
Now though, it was as if their well laid-out plans had suddenly been   
erased. Janet and Daniel still planned on giving Sam any support she may   
need.   
  
*******************  
  
Jack was thrown bodily into his cell, the air driven from his chest, his   
mind a daze of twisted memories and emotions. Gasping, he battled to   
drive air back into his lungs, taking huge breaths that only serve to   
make his broken ribs protest.  
  
He rolled onto his back, his sweat-soaked stomach covered in dirt from   
the ground. Closing his eyes, he fought the pain that the movement   
caused, not only from his ribs, but also from the myriad of bruises and   
cuts that covered his back and abdomen. His wrist was broken; it had been   
for some time.  
  
Blackness floated in front of him. He wasn't sure if it was actually dark   
or if he'd lost his vision again. A wave of nausea rolled over him.   
Pushing himself onto his side, vision flecking with the pain, he retched   
violently, bringing up only bile. He hadn't eaten in days, and had only   
been given a tiny mouthful of water several hours ago. If you could even   
call it water. It wasn't fit for animals to drink.  
  
He lay back, his energy wasting away, and closed his eyes again. It was   
the only way to make the pain fade back to a tolerable level. His head   
pounded constantly from the lack of food and water and from the no doubt   
multiple concussions he had suffered in the time he had been here.   
  
Here. He didn't even know where here was. Since he had been captured he   
had been moved numerous times. No doubt to keep him from memorizing his   
surroundings, should he escape. And that had been on his mind constantly.   
Escape. Though the thought had dulled to the furthest reaches of his   
mind. Ebbing there, should he care to act on it.  
  
Time had lost all meaning to him. He had not slept in weeks, of that he   
was certain. A painful cacophony of sounds filled the room from tiny   
speakers making it impossible to sleep. He did not know where he was, or   
how he had gotten there. He remembered almost nothing of his life before   
this misery began only the little images that flashed before him in the   
few small moments of sleep he occasionally managed to grab.  
  
He could remember a woman, she was very important to him. Sam. That's   
what the little visions told him her name was. She was having his baby.   
He saw images of people that he assumed were his friends, but nothing   
tangible enough to hold on to. Except for her, he had to live; he had to   
get home to her and their baby.  
  
Her smile. He remembered her smile. It kept flashing through his mind.   
Sometimes he could almost smile back, but the left side of his face had   
been crushed, making it painful to do so. It was beautiful; it made this   
wretched life worth living. It helped him hold on to the belief that he   
would live to see it again.  
  
The sound of someone outside his door was unmistakable. Please, not   
again! With a burst of energy, he pulled himself across to the far corner   
of the cell and cowered in the shadows that lay there. The Goa'uld,   
Bastet, took great pleasure in torturing people. He could not remember   
her or her Jaffa ever asking him any questions; his torture sessions were   
silent except for his screams.  
  
//What could they possibly want from me,// he thought. He knew nothing.   
Or at least he thought he knew nothing. //Crap!// Now he was confusing   
himself.  
  
They normally gave him time to recoup before each session. If they were   
coming for him now, did it mean that she had grown tired of him, found a   
new subject to torture? He wouldn't let them take him without a fight.   
He needed to focus. He couldn't pass out again. If he passed out, he was   
afraid he wouldn't wake up the next time. And he had to wake up. He had   
to get out of here.  
  
Footsteps approached him quietly, too quietly. Something was wrong. They   
were going to kill him. He tried to fight back the panic that was   
suddenly growing in him. He had to live! A hand touched his shoulder   
gently, something was said to him, but his mind didn't register it.  
  
With a feral growl he grabbed the hand and moved with a speed and agility   
that the Jaffa wouldn't have expected. He twisted the arm until he heard   
the crack. Dropping it with satisfaction, he stood, driving his fist into   
their face. Another satisfying crack sounded as his assailant's nose   
broke.  
  
"Jack!" a voice yelled.  
  
Jack stopped suddenly, his fist still raised, his other hand still   
gripping the front of his assailant's shirt. Another man stood in the   
doorway, too small to be a Jaffa. He was dressed in the robes of a   
Goa'uld. Was that his name he was calling? The Jaffa had never called him   
anything but human before. He let go of the shirt in his hand, the person   
falling to the ground with an agonized moan.  
  
"Jack," the man repeated, raising his hands as if to show he meant no   
harm. "We're here to help you Jack. We're here to get you out."  
  
Jack tilted his head, studying the man intensely. He looked familiar, but   
this had happened before. He had thought someone had looked familiar and   
it had been a trick, a new method of torture. He looked down at the man   
on the floor; he was holding his nose, his broken arm held tightly   
against his stomach.  
  
"Jack please," the man sounded desperate. "It's me, Jacob."  
  
The name meant nothing to him. He couldn't remember a Jacob. It must be a   
trick, they're trying to fool me into believing they're something they   
aren't. Placing a swift kick into the stomach of the man on the ground he   
rounded on the other one. He crossed the room in two steps, gathering the   
front of the man's robes in his fist.  
  
Fear flickered across his face. Jack had nothing to lose; he would kill   
him if he had to. He could tell by the other man's face, by Jacob's face   
that he saw it too. His other hand groped for Jacob's throat and   
squeezed. Jacob's hands wrapped around his wrist, trying to pull them off   
as his eyes bulged. Jack only squeezed harder.  
  
"Sam..." Was the only word that managed to escape Jacob's lips.  
  
Jack released his throat and robes in surprise, sending Jacob slumping to   
the ground, hands around his throat as he lay gasping for breath. He   
studied the man again, feeling that sense of familiarity once again. Jack   
had never mentioned Sam during his torture sessions, no one here knew who   
she was. Did they manage to get inside his head on top of everything   
else? Is that how Jacob knew her name?  
  
Jacob had pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, still gasping. "You   
have to trust me Jack. This isn't one of Bastet's tricks. We're here to   
take you back to Sam."  
  
Unwillingly, he held his good hand out to the man. He did not trust him,   
but something deep down told him to believe him. Jacob took his hand and   
stood, his eyes traveling up and down Jack's battered body, before   
brushing past him and helping the other man up.  
  
Jack stood rooted in place, trying to get his mind around what was   
happening. He was leaving here; he was going home to Sam. It didn't seem   
real, none of it did. It seemed like some far-fetched dream. Reality to   
him was pain and beatings.  
  
Something brushed his shoulder. He jerked away from it, half-twisting, a   
low growl forming in his throat. Jacob was behind him holding up some   
dark brown robes. Jack stepped warily away from him.  
  
"Jack you have to put it on or we won't get out of here."  
  
Inching forward he reached out and snatched the robes from Jacob,   
wrapping them around his body awkwardly with one hand. It was course,   
aggravating the multitude of cuts on his body, but he didn't care.  
  
He was going back to Sam.  
  
*******************  
  
Sam lay on the bed her eyes closed, but not asleep. She had been faking   
it for the past few minutes, waiting for Janet and Daniel to leave the   
room. They pitied her, she just knew it. She didn't want pity. She   
didn't want to be felt sorry for. She just wanted Jack.   
  
I kinda miss those ramblin' conversations  
Where we talk about nothin'   
  
She rolled over onto her back and drew her hand up to her swollen   
stomach. She felt the baby move, causing her mouth to lift slightly.   
The baby started moving around about a month ago. She can't believe that   
Jack missed the first kick of their baby. He would have loved to have   
felt it. When she had to go to her first ultra sound alone, it nearly   
killed her. Jack had been so looking forward to it. He had been talking   
of hardly anything else since he found out. Especially after he got the   
baby's room all fixed up.   
  
The way you always made me laugh at my frustrations  
Baby that was somethin'  
  
She talked to the baby all the time. Mostly about its father. She knew   
it probably wasn't doing her any good, to constantly dredge it up, but it   
was the only way for her to hang onto Jack. Until she had evidence,   
hardcore, able to be touched evidence, she would not believe that Jack   
was dead.   
  
I should've been careful what I wished for   
Cause I've got my freedom and so much more  
  
When Jack was trapped on Edora all those years ago, for more than three   
months, she never gave up the search. No matter what people said, she   
hadn't let herself stop until he was found.   
  
I guess you get used to somebody  
Kind of like havin' them around  
  
This time though...She shook her head clearing images ingrained in her   
mind...she couldn't think about this time. Because Jack was coming back.   
Alive.   
  
I guess you get used to the way they make you happy  
Bring you up when your feeling down  
I never dreamed when I was letting you go  
That I would wake up and miss you this much  
  
Sam curled up on her side, the soft light from the hallway leaking in   
through the crack in the door. It felt good to lie down at least. She   
hadn't allowed herself this comfort for quite a while. She closed her   
eyes again, and started singing softly. It was a lullaby that she   
remembered her mother singing to her when she was a child. She hadn't   
heard it in years, but it somehow came bubbling to the surface. She told   
herself she was singing to soothe the baby, but deep down she knew it was   
to ease her own troubled soul.   
  
I never dreamed when I was letting you go  
That I would wake up and miss you this much  
  
She must have dozed off because the next thing she knew she heard the   
blaring ring of the telephone down the hallway. She looked at the   
bedside clock. 0230. Who would be calling Janet's at this time of   
night. She strained to hear the voices down the hallway. It was Janet   
and Daniel talking urgently, but softly. She was curious as to what was   
happening. She sat up and prepared to get off the bed to find out, when   
Janet rushed into the room in a flurry of motion.   
  
Janet seemed only mildly surprised that Sam was already awake. "Sam we   
have to get to the SGC. They've found Jack. And he's alive."  
  
Sam was struck speechless, but she allowed Janet to help her bundle up   
for the journey to the mountain. And Jack.   
  
*******************  
  
Sam hurried through the corridors of the SGC, Janet and Daniel trailing   
behind in her wake. All her energy was focused on getting down to the   
infirmary, going to Jack. She didn't want to think about what she might   
find when she got there.  
  
When they reached the Infirmary level Janet took her arm, stopping her.   
Her face looked stern and worried. "Sam, he's in the observation room.   
The General warned me that he's in bad shape, he won't let anyone near   
him and he won't talk. Sam, I don't want him to do anything to harm you   
and the baby."  
  
"He won't harm us Janet," Sam scoffed impatiently. She wanted to see   
him; she had to see him *now*.  
  
"Sam, I'm only asking you to be careful. You have to calm him down   
enough so I can check his injuries."  
  
"I know Janet."  
  
Brushing her hand off, Sam continued down the corridor. A feral kind of   
scream was coming from the observation room, echoing up the corridor to   
her ears. //That couldn't be Jack, could it?// It sounded more like an   
animal than man. She quickened her pace. What was happening to him?  
  
Rounding the corner she ran into her father. He looked tired, but a   
relieved smile filled his face when he saw her. "Sammy." He pulled her   
into his arms, hugging her tightly to his chest.  
  
"How is he Dad?"  
  
One look at his face told her everything she needed to know. It had been   
a long time since she had seen her father look as anguished as he did   
now. It took her breath away. "He knows who you are Sammy. That's all   
that matters," he replied, brushing his lips across her forehead.  
  
A loud crash from the observation room pulled them apart. There was a   
moan of pain and then silence. Jacob cupped her face, looking deep into   
her eyes. "Sammy, things might not look so good now, but they will get   
better. You have him back now". He pressed another kiss to her   
forehead. "Do you want Teal'c to go in with you just in case you need any   
help?"  
  
It was only then that Sam noticed Teal'c standing tensely by the doorway,   
a zat clutched ready in his hand as he peered through the glass on the   
door. Moving away from her father, she stepped up to Teal'c. "It is a   
relief that you have finally arrived Samantha Carter," he said in   
greeting, his attention not leaving the door.  
  
"Thanks Teal'c," she replied, reaching out to touch his arm. "Will you   
stay out here? I'll call out if I need any help." Teal'c simply   
inclined his head in acquiescence.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Sam opened the door and took a couple of steps   
inside. She heard a scuffling sound and looked in its direction. What   
she saw would be etched into her memory forever. Nothing could ever have   
prepared her for the sight before her. She stood there for a long time,   
rooted in place and helpless.  
  
Jack was crouched in the far corner of the room, watching her warily. He   
was almost unrecognizable from the man he had been. His face was partly   
in shadow, the left side of his face swollen, his cheek and nose   
noticeably broken. His breathing was ragged, frightened.  
  
He was almost naked, clothed only in a loincloth that barely covered his   
midsection decently. He was emaciated, his face hollow and drawn.   
Almost every visible inch of his body was covered in bruises, cuts and   
grime. He was filthy.  
  
Inwardly Sam groaned and fought to stifle the sob that formed in her   
throat. What had they done to him? She knew she couldn't let him she   
how upset his appearance made her, schooling her expression she took a   
cautious step forward.  
  
Jack backed up, somehow managing to squeeze himself deeper into the   
corner, flinching away from her. His eyes were wild, searching   
everywhere for a means to escape. He grunted in pain.  
  
Sam stopped moving. She was still several feet away from him. Slowly   
she squatted down so she was at eye level with him. "Jack, it's me. It's   
Sam," she kept her voice quiet, not wanting to startle him any more than   
he already was.  
  
He tilted his head, an almost bird-like motion, his eyes looking her up   
and down. His body was still except for his eyes. Sam inched forward   
slowly, stopping after every foot to make certain she wasn't scaring him.   
She had no idea how he might react if he freaked out. //Was Dad wrong?   
Did he not recognize me at all?//  
  
She was unaware of the passing of time as she crawled closer to him. She   
kept her eyes on his, trying to keep him calm, to show him that she was   
no threat to him. Finally she was in front of him, her knees almost   
brushing his.  
  
Tentatively, she reached out and touched his knee. His reaction was   
instantaneous. He screamed the same animalistic sound she had heard   
outside in the corridor. He jerked away from her, standing and pressing   
himself against the wall, knocking Sam over in the process. His eyes   
were wide, terrified; he was shaking.  
  
Sam stood up facing him, holding her arms out in front of her, trying to   
show him that she was no threat. "Jack, it is me. It's Sam," she told   
him tenderly. "You're home Jack. Your safe, you're with me now ... and   
our baby." She pressed a hand to her belly, attempting to show him the   
burgeoning mound that was their unborn child.  
  
Tears were streaming down Jack's cheeks, but his gaze had followed her   
hand. He studied it for a long time, confusion creasing the undamaged   
side of his face. Slowly, Sam inched closer again, trying to soothe him   
with the sound of her voice. "Nothing is going to hurt you again baby. I   
promise you, no one will ever hurt you again."  
  
Reaching up, she gently cupped his unmarred cheek with her hand. Jack   
flinched, but didn't pull away. A realization seemed to take hold of   
him. The uncertainty in his features seemed to ebb away, only to be   
replaced by disbelief. His mouth opened, he was saying something, but no   
sound came out.  
  
Sam was certain that it was her name that he had mouthed. "Yes, it's me   
Jack. I'm real."  
  
Jack's shoulders began shaking forcefully, his face twisting in misery.   
Sam stepped forward, pulling him to her. Mindful of his battered body   
she wrapped her arms around him and held him as he wept. She could feel   
how thin and bony he suddenly was. "Its okay, Jack, let it out."  
  
A sob rose in her throat. They had broken him, broken his mind as well   
as his body. Despite all his Black Ops training they had managed to   
break him. What had they done to him? He hadn't even known she was   
real. She bit the tears back, knowing that she had to be strong for him.   
She had to help him get through this.  
  
His sobs subsided quickly and as much as she didn't want to let him go,   
she knew that Janet had to check his injuries. Sam had no idea how she   
was going to coax Jack into letting Janet examine him. Her hand was   
slowly stroking up and down his back, a soothing motion. He was still   
tense; his arms still lay stiffly at his side.  
  
Sam didn't hear the low growl forming in his throat, didn't notice the   
growing tenseness in his body until it was too late. When he did move it   
was with a swiftness that she had never seen before, the speed of a man   
acting purely on instinct. One of his arms shot out, wrapping itself   
firmly around her throat, his other hand gripping one of her arms firmly   
in front of her.  
  
"Trick!" he yelled, the first cognitive thing she had heard from him.   
His voice was raw and gravelly from lack of use. His face contorted   
angrily as Sam's free hand groped up to grip his wrist futilely. His   
grip tightened and she gasped weakly from a combination of lack of oxygen   
and pain.  
  
The door burst open behind her and instantly she realized why he had   
assumed it was a trick. She couldn't cry out, tell them to go, couldn't   
plead to Jack that he was mistaken. She was completely helpless to do   
anything.  
  
He had just seen Teal'c.  
  
Her vision was fading; she wasn't going to last much longer if she didn't   
do something. Instinctively, she raised her knee forcefully and it   
connected with his groin. He groaned, his fingers loosening on her   
throat enough for her to push him back.  
  
Sam fell to her knees, drawing deep breaths, trying to force precious   
oxygen back into her lungs. Her shocked mind struggled to comprehend   
what had just happened. Glancing up at Jack, she saw him looking past   
her, rooted in place, a look of betrayal on his face. He was whimpering   
softly in fear.   
  
//Oh god, Teal'c!//  
  
Sam stood quickly, ignoring the wave of lightheadedness that washed over   
her. Turning to face Teal'c, she made sure her body shielded Jack from   
the Jaffa. As she had anticipated Teal'c was standing inside the   
doorway, his zat raised and aimed in their direction. Janet stood   
anxiously behind him, Jacob next to her, looking ready to do murder.  
  
"Teal'c, get out!" she yelled breathlessly. It hurt to talk. "He doesn't   
know you ... he's scared!"  
  
Jack moaned softly behind her, incoherent and terrified. Sam spared a   
backward glance at him, forcing a smile to try and placate him. His   
moaning stopped; he froze, staring back at her with an intensity she had   
never seen before.  
  
Teal'c still had his zat raised. He looked at her pensively. "I am only   
trying to protect you and your unborn child Samantha Carter."  
  
"I know that Teal'c, but he doesn't. Please Teal'c," she pleaded. She   
started swaying slightly, her throat was throbbing. Jack's grip had done   
more damage then simply cutting off her air, but she couldn't let it   
show. She had to help him.  
  
Janet stepped forward, forcing Teal'c to lower the zat. "She's right,   
Teal'c." She met Sam's eyes. "Are you okay Sam?"  
  
Sam nodded. "I'm fine Janet," she lied, she felt anything but okay. "Can   
you get me a sedative? There's no way he's gonna let you examine him."  
  
Janet nodded, and she pushed Teal'c out of the room. Jacob stayed where   
he was, concern shining in his eyes. "Are you sure you don't want   
somebody to stay in here with you, Sammy?"  
  
"No Dad. I was getting through to him before; we just need to be alone."   
Jacob nodded and quietly left the room.  
  
Sam had already turned her attention back to Jack. She wanted to sit   
down, she felt dizzy, but she couldn't. She didn't want to do anything to   
make him nervous. That same impenetrable gaze was still fixed on her. His   
arm drifted out to touch her cheek tentatively, as if he was trying to   
assure himself that she was real.  
  
"Sa ... Sammy?" he choked out uncertainly. His eyes drifted down to look   
at her lips. "Smile," he muttered dreamily. He closed his eyes, his arm   
dropping back to his side, as he seemed to lose himself in a memory.  
  
Sam watched him uncertainly. //Smile? What on Earth did he mean by   
that?// She wracked her brain trying to try and work out what he meant   
by his comment. She was clueless. "Yeah, Jack, it's me. It's Sammy,"   
she replied, forcing a smile.  
  
Jack's eyes opened slowly and he studied her for a moment with that   
impenetrable stare. A slow smile spread across the undamaged side of his   
face as he reached out and touched her cheek again, his fingers brushing   
her lips. "Smile," he whispered.  
  
It dawned on Sam then what he meant. "Is that what you remembered Jack,   
my smile?" she asked, taking his hand in hers.  
  
He nodded slightly an almost child-like gesture. "Smile." He squeezed   
her hand in his, his eyes drifting down to look at her neck. Horror   
filled his features as he looked at it saw the damage he had done. His   
face crumpled and tears began to course down his cheeks. He pulled his   
hand out of her grip, backing away from her.  
  
His back came into contact with the wall and he slid down it until he was   
sitting on the floor. He buried his face in his hands, sobs shaking his   
shoulders. Sam squatted down opposite him, touching his knee gently. He   
tried to shake her off but she relented, moving her hand up to grip his   
shoulder.  
  
"Jack, I know you didn't hurt me intentionally," she whispered, leaning   
in closer to him. She gripped his wrists, pulling them away from his   
face. He gave a little pained moan before she noticed the swelling of   
his left wrist and loosening her grip. "Jack, look at me," she told him   
forcefully.  
  
His head snapped up, sad eyes focusing on hers. Letting go of his hands   
she reached up to cup his face, wiping the tears away with her thumbs.   
She couldn't think of what to say to him that might calm him down. It   
felt so good to be touching him, to have him there in front of her, and   
not just in her imagination. She said the words that she wanted to say   
to him for the last two months, her voice thick with unshed tears.   
  
"I love you Jack. I'm so glad your back with me."  
  
His face lit up; relief flooding his features as a fresh bout of tears   
filled his eyes. Sam shifted so she was kneeling in front of him and   
pulled him forward into her arms. His arms wrapped around her, and   
finally she felt complete. She melted into his arms, sobbing with him as   
she released two months worth of pent up grief.  
  
*******************  
  
Janet looked down at the sleeping form of the Colonel, a frown creasing   
her forehead. How he had managed to survive his ordeal was beyond her.   
She rubbed at her eyes tiredly; it was going to take months for his body   
to heal. Who knew how long it would take for his mind to heal too? He   
was lucky to be alive.   
  
She slid down in the seat next to his bed warily and closed her eyes. It   
was only the beginning, they were still running tests to try and get an   
idea of the extent of his injuries. His CAT scan almost made her heart   
stop. Apart from the more obvious injuries, the broken wrist, his   
shattered face, the CAT scan had shown breaks that were almost healed,   
breaks that he had had to cope with without the aid of medicine.  
  
They had to wait for specialists to arrive before they could deal with   
most of his injuries. As much as she hated to admit it, some of his   
wounds were beyond her skill to heal, so she had commissioned the help of   
some of the best orthopedic surgeons in the country.  
  
The hard part was going to be keeping him calm until the specialists   
arrived. She didn't want to have to resort to sedating him, but if it   
came down to it she might have to. Sam was the only person who seemed to   
be able to reach him, but she couldn't be with him all the time.  
  
Janet's eyes opened. //Had they found her yet?// Sam had disappeared   
shortly after hearing the results of the CAT scan. Teal'c, Daniel and   
Jacob had been scouring the base for more than an hour trying to find   
her. Janet was more than a little worried for her friend; her only   
relief was she had been able to examine the damage to Sam's throat before   
she had disappeared.  
  
She knew this must be hitting Sam hard. After so long waiting for Jack   
to be found, seeing the state he was in, his memory loss. They all knew   
it was going to be a long, hard road to recovery for him. Janet knew   
that Sam had to be scared that Jack would have lost something of himself   
as a result.  
  
Janet had high hopes for Jack's recovery though. He was a fighter, he   
always had been. She had seen his files, she knew that he had been to   
the edge of hell and come back several times. This time was different   
too, this time he had motivation and support in the form of Samantha   
Carter and their unborn child. He would pull through. He would be back   
to himself before they knew it.  
  
A head peeked through the curtain, startling her until she realized it   
was Daniel. "Did you find her?" she asked before he had a chance to   
speak.  
  
Daniel smiled and stepped into the cubicle, his gaze drifting to Jack's   
sleeping form. "Yeah, she was up on the surface. Jacob found her; he's   
with her now in her quarters."  
  
Janet let out a let sigh of relief. She watched Daniel as he stepped up   
to the bed and looked sadly down at his friend. He reached out   
cautiously and touched the undamaged side of Jack's face. "I didn't   
believe we would ever get him back alive Janet," he whispered sadly. "Is   
he going to be okay?"  
  
Standing, Janet closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around   
his waist. "It's Jack, Daniel, of course he'll be okay. He'll bounce   
back just like he always does," she replied optimistically.  
  
"Of course he will," a voice scoffed.   
  
Turning they watched as Sam entered the cubicle, her eyes red and puffy   
from crying. Janet's eyes drifted down to the ugly red marks on her   
throat, it was just bruising, but it was a frightening sight. Jack had   
done that, in a fit of confusion and fear.  
  
Sam's eyes were glued to Jack. She crossed the cubicle and took his hand   
in her own, perching herself in the seat next to his bed. "Has there been   
any change?"  
  
"No," Janet replied. "But he's exhausted, so there's no telling when he   
might wake up."  
  
"Yeah I know," Sam sighed, her gaze never wavering from Jack. "Can we be   
alone please?"  
  
"Sure," Janet replied, taking a firm grip of Daniel's arm and pulling him   
behind her. "You know where I am if you need me." She called behind her   
as she made her way out of the cubicle.  
  
*******************  
  
Jack woke to a sensation that he had not felt for as long as he could   
remember ... no pain. The pain was still there, throbbing away but its   
intensity had been shaved away so it was no more than a minor annoyance.   
For a fleeting moment he wondered if he was dead, then a memory flashed   
before him.  
  
Sam. He was back with her. The men at his prison had told him the truth   
when they told him they were taking him back to her. He was home now, if   
only he could remember what that home was. The faces were all familiar   
to him, he felt like he should know them, but he didn't.  
  
He stretched slightly, and regretted the movement. Pain arched through   
him for a brief moment before he stilled himself. His movement was   
enough to feel something unexpected at his fingertips. Hair. He opened   
his eyes, tilting his head to the side enough to find out who it was.  
  
The short blonde hair told him who it was instantly. It was a little   
longer than it was in his memories, but it was her all the same. Her   
face was looking away from him, but by her breathing he guessed she was   
asleep.  
  
His eyes drifted around the room, taking in everything around him. The   
room was bare, except for the bed he was laying on, the chair Sam was   
sitting on and the strange equipment around his bed. There was only one   
wall at his head, and three curtains acting as walls. He wasn't in a   
cell. //Where am I?//  
  
There was something familiar about the room; something tickled the back   
of his mind, telling him that he knew this place. He couldn't put a name   
to it, couldn't remember anything about it. The only thing he knew was   
that he felt safe here. Nothing could harm him here.  
  
Sighing, he closed his eyes, he was so tired. The glinting of something   
metal flashed through his mind. He could almost feel its startling cold   
in contrast to the fire in his body as it scraped threateningly against   
his chest. He bit his lip, trying to bit back the frustration that he   
felt, trying to prepare himself for the pain that was to follow. A moan   
escaped his lips. Something touched his chest, not a knife ... a hand.   
He let out a shout, jerking his body away from it.  
  
"Jack!" The voice was urgent and insistent.  
  
His eyes shot open, he was looking up at Sam. Her eyes were wide with   
worry and surprise; her hand was on his chest. He lay there gasping for   
breath, unwilling to close his eyes. Sam's eyes held him; just looking   
at them helped to steady his breathing.  
  
"Are you okay Jack? What happened?"  
  
Jack took her hand in his, more to convince himself that she was actually   
there and not just a figment of his imagination. He smiled in relief   
when she squeezed his hand comfortingly. "Memories," he replied quietly,   
finally finding his voice. It still felt strange to talk.  
  
A clicking sound interrupted his thoughts, it was getting closer. One of   
the curtains swung open and a petite brunette in a white overcoat stepped   
in. She, like everyone and everything else looked familiar. He had seen   
her the night before.  
  
"What happened?" the brunette asked, moving closer to the bed, studying   
Jack with concern. Instinctively, Jack shied away from her. "It's okay   
Jack, I'm not going to hurt you. Don't you remember me?"  
  
Jack shook his head, glancing up at Sam. "No," he muttered, clutching at   
Sam's hand like it was his lifeline.  
  
"That's okay Jack. I'm Dr Fraiser ... Janet," she replied gently, a   
smile on her face. "Now, what happened?"  
  
"He said it was memories. I think he was having a flashback or   
something," Sam supplied.  
  
"Oh," Janet replied.  
  
Janet's attention shifted back to Jack. She smiled warmly, but he could   
see it was forced. A word popped into his head as he shied back further   
from her. Needles. He pushed himself back, feeling the edge of the bed   
under his palm and unable to explain the sudden, irrational, dislike that   
he was feeling.  
  
"No needles ... please."  
  
Janet looked at him, a mildly surprised expression on her face. She   
smiled slowly,"Don't worry Jack, no needles." She glanced quickly at   
Sam, flashing a quick, almost imperceptible grin. "The specialists will   
be arriving within the hour to fix the damage to your face."  
  
Unconsciously, Jack's hand drifted to his cheek. Sometimes he forgot   
about it. Pain had been such a constant companion to him that he had   
stopped paying attention to each individual ache; it was easier for him   
to deal with it all as a whole. He knew he probably would have gone nuts   
if he hadn't dealt with it that way. He'd probably have given up and   
died.  
  
"How?" he mumbled.  
  
Janet sighed; perching herself down on Sam's vacated seat. Jack didn't   
shrink away from her. He lowered his eyes self-consciously. He hadn't   
seen his face for a long time, but it felt swollen and bloated with the   
numbness.  
  
"I don't exactly know what they'll do Jack," she replied, her voice   
drawing his eyes back to her. "We may not know for certain until they   
examine you, but depending on the damage to the bone they might have to   
insert a plate in your cheek."  
  
Jack didn't understand most of what she had just told him, though one   
single thought reverberated through his mind. "Pain."  
  
Janet shifted forward in her seat slightly, her face serious. She   
reached out a hand and touched his knee gently. He flinched, but didn't   
pull away; Sam seemed to trust her. "I won't lie to you Jack, there will   
be pain," she said frankly. "But we have medication that can ease the   
pain and it won't be any worse that what you've already suffered."  
  
Jack nodded. If Sam trusted her it was enough for him. He loved her, he   
trusted her completely. If she told him that someone was a friend, that   
he could trust them, he would believe her, even for that Jaffa that he   
had seen when he first got here.  
  
*******************  
  
Sam closed her eyes, resting her head back against the wall. It was   
going to be a long wait, she knew that, but she was unwilling to move   
from where she was. Everyone had told her to go home, to get some much-  
needed rest, but she couldn't. She had to know he was going to be okay.  
  
Of course, she knew he was going to be. He was in the hands of the best   
doctors the Air Force had to offer. She was still apprehensive she   
couldn't help herself. Jack was vulnerable at the moment, more than she   
had ever seen him, so naturally she felt the need to protect him.  
  
She felt like she was a mass of confused and conflicting emotions at the   
moment. She was relieved and overjoyed to have Jack back, but she had   
never expected him to be in the state he was. Granted, he was improving   
rapidly since that first time she had seen him in the Observation Room,   
but his memory was still seemed no closer to being restored.  
  
It was flattering and more than a little disconcerting that he could   
remember her, remember their baby, and yet could not remember any   
specific moments of the five years they had known each other, the four   
months that they were together. Would he ever get his memories back?  
  
That was her fear, that he would never remember the key moments that   
formed their friendship, molded their feelings into what they were today.   
The day she kissed him in the locker room, the time they were stuck in   
Antarctica, the Zatarc incident, Jonah and Thera, Jack being forced to   
kill her when she was possessed by the entity. They were all integral to   
the unique and loving relationship they had formed, yet all he could   
remember were his feelings for her and not the moments that had nurtured   
those feelings.  
  
Janet had assured her that it was the trauma, the no doubt constant   
injuries to his skull that had caused the amnesia. She was confident   
that his memories would come back in time, especially after he remembered   
his aversion to Janet and needles. Sam wanted to know how long it was   
going to take, and if there was anything that she could do to help it   
along.  
  
Opening her eyes, she stood as an idea struck her. Maybe she should go   
home and rest, and bring back some mementos of Jack's past when she came   
back in. Surely they might help bring his memories back. With a sense   
of purpose she left the mountain and headed back home.  
  
*******************  
  
The woman was watching him, a cold smile on her beautiful face, and an   
evil gleam in her eyes. Her eyes shifted quickly to the huge man   
standing next to him and moments later the pain increased a hundredfold.   
He gasped; barely managing to keep himself from losing consciousness as   
he felt like he was being torn limb from limb.  
  
"Cry out," she taunted cruelly. "Yell. Beg for mercy!" Her eyes flashed   
yellow, she laughed malevolently.  
  
It was a trick; he had fallen for it before. He would cry out and the   
pain would only increase until he passed out from it. He wasn't going to   
fall for it this time. She barked something Goa'uldish in that deep,   
unsexy voice and a Jaffa stepped forward carrying the Goa'uld version of   
a cattle prod.  
  
Jack could barely bite back the moan of terror that the sight of the   
weapon caused in him; sweat broke out all over his body. He already   
anticipated the pain he would feel when it was pressed against his bare   
flesh – it was like being punched in the gut, only worse, because it felt   
like your whole body was on fire, like you were being torn apart with an   
electrical shock. Then the convulsions started.  
  
The Jaffa raised the prod, pointing it towards Jack's throat, as he   
loomed menacingly closer. His eyes mirrored the sadistic look of his   
Queen as he inched ever closer. The prod raised even higher, pressing   
against his cheek.  
  
"No!" Jack yelled, thrashing his suddenly unshackled body. He realized   
his eyes were closed, and the pain he felt was different from what it   
should have been. It was more centralized, and he felt groggy and   
nauseous.  
  
He opened his eyes experimentally, expecting to find Bastet's pernicious   
face hovering above his gleefully. He sighed gratefully when his eyes   
were not met with that, but with the angelic face of the woman he loved.   
He sank back into his pillows and closed his eyes trying to calm himself,   
trying to control his breathless panting and the terrified shaking of his   
body.  
  
A weight settled on the bed, a hand gripped his firmly. "Jack ... honey.   
It's okay. It was just a dream baby," her voice told him soothingly. He   
could feel her moving, then her other hand started smoothing his hair. A   
kiss was pressed to his forehead. "Do you want to tell me what the dream   
was about?"  
  
"No," Jack replied shortly, opening his eyes. He vowed to himself that   
he would never tell her how he was tortured; it would upset her too much.   
It upset him to even think about it.  
  
Sam's expression was laced with concern, but she seemed to understand.   
She leaned forward and brushed her lips across his forehead again. "How   
are you feeling? Is there any pain?"  
  
Jack closed his eyes, realizing that there was no pain, just the same   
numb sensation that he had grown accustomed to. His stomach turned   
threateningly. "No pain," he mumbled. "Numb. Feel sick ... sleepy."  
  
He didn't want to sleep again, ever. Sleep only brought with it   
nightmares, nightmares of things that he wanted to forget, not to have   
them constantly dredged up for him to relive over and over again. He   
wanted to fall asleep and dream of his life before the torture, the life   
he couldn't remember.  
  
"Why don't you go back to sleep then?" she suggested softly.  
  
Jack shook his head. His eyes slid shut unwillingly and he forced them   
back open. "Nightmares," he whispered. He was so tired. //I can't go   
back to sleep!//  
  
Sam shifted herself on the bed, barely managing to fit her body on it   
next to him. Propping herself against his pillows, she wrapped her arms   
around him, drawing him closer, guiding his head against her shoulder.   
"Go to sleep, Jack. I'll be right here."  
  
She began humming softly, a tune that he recognized but could not name.   
He turned his face into her chest, listening to the sound of her heart   
beating, relaxed by the sound of her gentle humming. His eyes slid shut   
of their own accord and he drifted into a peaceful, dreamless, slumber.  
  
*******************  
  
Jack sat propped up against the raised bed, the pillow cushioning his   
aching back. Sam sat next to him on the bed, holding his hand, as she   
cradled the stack of pictures with her other. He was looking at the   
photos, or rather the faces in the photos, like it was the first time.   
  
Sam said it should help him remember, but he doubted that. No one looked   
familiar. Well except for the few people that kept coming to his room to   
check on him. He knew their names, but that was it. Daniel. Janet.   
Teal'c. The photos meant nothing to him, the names even less.  
  
He stopped whenever he came across a photo of Sam. The image always took   
his breath away. He would then lean over and place a kiss on Sam's lips   
to assure himself that she was real. That he wasn't dreaming again.   
  
It was agonizing that he couldn't remember his life. All his memories   
were gone. All except Sam. He remembered her. Or rather, he remembered   
what he felt for her. His love for her was something he could never   
forget. No matter what.  
  
A new face appeared in the next photo. A young girl. She looked vaguely   
familiar. Why?   
  
"Who's that?" Jack asked indicating the girl.   
  
Sam's eyes met his, and just a flash of surprise. "You don't remember?"  
  
Jack shook his head sadly as he returned his eyes to the photo. "Is   
she...my daughter?" His voice faded into a whisper.   
  
Sam laughed lightly and he jerked his head up. He couldn't resist smiling   
in turn.   
  
"Not exactly," she said. "She, ah, we rescued her from a dying planet.   
And she really took to you. Janet adopted her. We all had a hand in   
raising her though."  
  
"What's her name?" He asked quietly.   
  
"Cassandra. Cassie."  
  
Images flashed through his head.   
  
**  
  
Several hundred feet below ground. A dark, dense, and abandoned missile   
silo. He was facing an elevator. Sam was standing there holding a little   
girl.  
  
Cassie.   
  
"I can take her from here now, Captain."  
  
"No, sir, it's okay." Sam looked into his eyes.  
  
The elevator doors closed but not before he caught a glimpse of the   
sorrow written on Sam's face. The elevator descends further into the   
complex.   
  
He sees the elevator stop at the very bottom. Minutes passed. Long   
agonizing minutes. She should be done by now, he thought. The light on   
the elevator started ascending again. 28...27...26...27...28.... Wait a   
minute here. What was going on?  
  
"Jack, she's going back down." He hears someone say beside him.  
  
"The hell she is." He hits the speaker button. "Captain Carter?" No   
answer. "Captain Carter!?"  
  
A heavy feeling filled his gut. Something was wrong. Very wrong. He talks   
into the speaker again. "Sam, do you read me?"   
  
"Colonel, I'm staying." He hears tears in her voice. What's happened?   
Something was terribly wrong.  
  
He couldn't let her do that. She was putting herself in unnecessary   
danger. "Negative."  
  
"Colonel, she's awake." He heard her choke on a sob. *Oh God*! His   
thoughts were echoed audibly beside him.  
  
Silence again. He had to keep trying. "Captain, Carter. I am ordering you   
to get back up here, right now." He had to get her back up here. "Right   
now!"  
  
The silence lapses into the deep undulating abyss of nothingness. He   
looks at his watch. The time ticks down. 59...58...57. He urges the   
people standing next to him to leave while they still can. Daniel?   
Teal'c? They refuse to leave. He glances back to the elevator hoping   
against hope that the numbers will start moving again. They don't. His   
eyes return to his watch. He speaks unconsciously, not even sure what he   
is saying. His mind is focused elsewhere. 10...9...8. Oh God! They can't   
die. She can't die.  
  
3...2...1.  
  
His watch beeped. And ... nothing.  
Maybe they were wrong about the time. Maybe they were wrong about what   
would happen. His thoughts are voiced again by Daniel.   
  
He hits the speaker again, his hand shaking, hopefully unnoticeably.   
"Captain Carter, can you hear me?" Still no answer. "Sam, can you here   
me?" He tried to keep the desperation out of his voice.   
  
"Were okay, nothing happened. Cassandra's fine, I'm fine, it didn't   
happen. I just...I couldn't leave her, sir." Sam said through her tears.   
  
She couldn't leave her.  
  
**  
  
Jack was pulled out of his memories like being yanked backwards through a   
wormhole. He was drenched in sweat and shivering. His head was exploding.   
He heard a voice through the ringing in his ears. Sam.   
  
He opened his eyes that he didn't know were closed and stared into Sam's   
face. She looked scared. He couldn't blame her. He was pretty freaked out   
himself. He sat there for a moment, unmoving. Only his eyes shifting   
amongst his surroundings.  
  
"Jack?" Sam whispered standing in front of her.  
  
Somehow he had managed to get out of bed and was standing on the cold   
floor of the private infirmary room. He was in a defensive, yet harmless   
stance. Sam had that wide-eyed look on her face. The one he'd seen so   
many times since he'd come back. If this was this bad for him, it   
couldn't be any better for her.   
  
He stepped backwards and collapsed on the bed. He held his head in his   
hands. Too many things were spinning through his head.   
  
"Jack?" Sam's voice was closer, right beside him.  
  
He felt her arms go around him. Her lips were right next to his ear,   
whispering consoling and loving words. When his headache subsided, he   
removed his hands from his head and put them around Sam's comforting   
body.  
  
Touched by Sam's patience with him, he felt she deserved to know what   
just happened. Or at least try to tell her. As he was really kind of lost   
himself.   
  
"I remembered something." His voice was barely above a whisper.  
  
Sam pulled back slightly and looked at him waiting for his response.   
"What did you remember?"  
  
"Cassie. When we took her to that missile silo. And you didn't leave her   
behind. I was so scared for both of you. I couldn't lose either of you. I   
couldn't lose you." He dropped his eyes from hers as emotion overtook   
him.  
  
Sam sat there stunned. She was amazed that that one memory had stuck out   
in his mind. That he'd had feelings for her back then was somewhat   
surprising. She had only begun to become aware of her attraction to him   
at the time, uncertain as to what she did feel. She had only just become   
accustomed to his authoritative decisions and strength in the short time   
that they had been assigned together. When she had to reject his command   
and go with her own instincts, it nearly killed her. But she had to do   
it; she couldn't leave Cassie, a sick, scared, lonely little girl,   
behind. If she had to make the decision again, she wouldn't do it   
differently. If she'd known then what Jack had felt for her the decision   
would have been a bit more difficult, however.  
  
She brought her hands to his face to bring his eyes to meet hers. Turmoil   
and tears were roiling around inside, fighting for domination.   
  
"But you knew I had to do it. Didn't you, Jack?" she asked, her voice   
soft.   
  
"I knew. I would have done the same thing. I just never wanted you put in   
danger. I know it sounds stupid. I'm sure when we signed up for this job   
we knew there'd be risks, but I just..." Jack drifted off, his eyes   
closing momentarily.  
  
"You just felt you should have done more," Sam said finishing his   
thought.   
  
Jack opened his eyes meeting hers again, a single tear slid down his   
cheek. "Yeah."  
  
Sam gathered him into her arms, cherishing the feel of his own arms   
around her. At the moment she didn't care that she was the one offering   
comfort. She had been without his embrace for so long that anything was   
good enough for her right then. She knew that it would take quite a while   
for Jack to heal. His body would be back in shape in no time, but his   
mind...that was another story. His mind was in a fragile state. Not only   
was he going to have to recover from emotional trauma, but he would have   
to regain his memory also. She could only imagine what it was like to   
have a jigsaw memory, and having to battle to put everything back into   
place.  
  
She was going to be there every step of the way. She would be there for   
him as he had been for her when she had lost her vision.  
  
It wasn't because she felt indebted to him, but because she loved him.  
  
*******************  
  
Jack, still confined to bed rest, was starting to get restless. His lunch   
tray was sitting in front of him nearly untouched. Occasionally he would   
pick at some mystery morsel with his fork, although it never reached his   
mouth.   
  
He had urged Sam to go home and get some rest, but she refused. She did   
however; concede to going to the commissary to grab a bite to eat.  
  
That left him alone with his thoughts and memories; or lack thereof. He   
winced as he thought about it. His head hurt from trying to remember   
things. The only solid thing he remembered was of Cassie. Then he   
recalled the flashes of Sam he'd gotten while still in Bastet's clutches.   
They seemed like memories, but he wasn't sure. He didn't have anything   
substantial to rely on. He would have to ask Sam about it, she could tell   
him.  
  
He tossed his fork down for the umpteenth time, and this time pushed the   
tray and cart out of reach. He leaned back, resting his head against his   
pillow and closed his eyes. He had a massive headache. Maybe when that   
doctor came back ... What was her name ... Fraiser ... I'll ask her to   
give me something for it. Just as long as it isn't a shot, he added as an   
afterthought.   
  
The hair on the back of his neck stood up as he was mentally transported   
to another place. And another time?  
  
**  
  
A dark room. He tried to move, but his body wasn't cooperating. It was   
too hard to move. He dropped his head from pain and fatigue, and saw he   
was sitting on a cot.   
  
A noise from the opposite side of the room caught his attention. He   
jerked his head up, which turned out to be a bad thing to do. The window   
panel in the door was slid open, letting in a small shaft of light. The   
door opens shortly thereafter.  
  
A military guard and an infirmary orderly carry in a stocky, bald man in   
a straight jacket.   
  
"Sorry Colonel O'Neill, but your private room just became semi-private."  
  
Jack follows the voice in the still somewhat darkened room. A woman is   
framed in the doorway, her white lab coat distinguishing her status and   
importance.  
  
He remained silent, unsure of what was happening. He couldn't think   
straight. His mind was a muddled mess.   
  
"We're running out of places to put all the victims. We've used the   
brigs, we've used the temp quarters; some of the storage rooms..." She   
spoke, her explanation drifting off into a frustrated sigh. She starts to   
walk towards the door, when he tries to speak.   
  
It's so hard to speak. His throat feels dry and constricted and he can't   
think.  
  
"Doc...doc..." He finally manages to croak out.  
  
The doctor stops and turns to face him. "Did you say something?"  
  
Feeling confident that he had her attention, he tried once more.   
  
"Give...more..."  
  
Oh, it hurt so badly. Why did he hurt so badly? He dropped his head, once   
again overcome with pain. A shadow loomed overhead.  
  
"What? Give more what?" He heard her ask clearly confused. She kneeled   
down in front of him.   
  
He looked into her eyes, needing her to understand.   
  
"More..."He held his arm out, gesturing for relief from the pain.   
  
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "An injection? You mean you want more   
sedative? You've already had more than the maximum safe dosage. Twice as   
much as anyone else because you've been more violent."  
  
"Give."  
  
She stood up. "No. It's not safe."  
  
"GIVE," He yelled, but it soon dropped to a whisper.   
  
"Why are you so insistent?"  
  
He can't respond, only to hold out his arm again. The doctor sighs as she   
gives in to his request. The orderly steps up with an injection at her   
request. She kneels down in front of him again and rolls up the sleeve of   
his shirt. She taps her fingers on his arm to find the appropriate place   
to insert the needle. He watches as the needle is inserted into his arm.   
The sedative was slowly released into his bloodline. He drops his head   
again as he loses all control of his senses.  
  
Through the fog in his mind he hears the doctor talking. "...must have   
been in a lot of pain."  
  
The fog clears suddenly and he jerks his head up and focuses on the   
doctor. "Docccccc......"  
  
The doctor whips around and stares at him. "Colonel O'Neill?"  
  
He moves his head up and down trying to force the words out of his   
muddled brain and out of his mouth. Somehow he managed to tell her an   
affirmative answer.  
  
The doctor...Doctor Fraiser...kneeled down in front of him. She smiles at   
him, realizing that it is indeed him. "So you are still in there   
somewhere."  
  
His throat is still constricted, but he can think somewhat better.   
"Dream...dream?" He asks, confused.   
  
Fraiser looks at him solemnly. "I'm afraid not, Colonel, it's very real.   
This is interesting...sedative must knock back the primitive mind.   
Colonel, listen to me. I am not going to be able to keep you at this   
level for very long. It is too dangerous. It could cause permanent brain   
damage."  
  
He can make out most of what she was saying. "What? Wha-- what is it?"  
  
He can see her mouth moving but he can't hear anything. He mentally pulls   
himself together. He strains his ears, so he can concentrate on what she   
was saying.   
  
"It's a parasitic virus. All we can tell is that it seems to mess with   
body chemicals - all of them. Testosterone levels skyrocket, thus the   
aggressive behavior. It's a histamine-alytic, which means it breaks down   
histamine."  
  
He got an idea. He really hoped she would take it, because he was going   
crazy. "Experiment."  
  
Fraiser looks bewildered and Jack tries to explain the best that he can.   
"Experiment. On... me."  
  
"Experiment on you?" Fraiser shakes her head, clearly understanding what   
he is talking about now. "No Sir I can't do that." She drops her head.  
  
Jack reaches out his hand and lifts her chin, forcing her eyes to his. He   
had to make her understand.   
  
"Use me."   
  
Fraiser drops her head. She reaches her hand out and takes hold of his   
hand.  
  
**  
  
Jack flashed out of the memory, shaking and gripping the guardrails. He   
gasped for breath; the image had come in such a breathless rush. He   
closed his eyes, forcing himself to take deep, shuddering breaths.  
  
"Are you alright Jack?" a woman's voice said from the doorway.  
  
His eyes shot open to find Janet standing framed in the door. She took a   
cautious step forward, her expression concerned. Jack couldn't think   
straight. He watched her step deeper in the room, moving closer to him.  
  
"I can trust you," he murmured, more to himself than her.  
  
Her brow furrowed with puzzlement. "Jack, what's wrong?" She was   
standing at his bedside now. She looked like she was ready to reach out   
and touch him, but something held her back at the last instant.  
  
Hesitantly he reached out and touched her hand, the tips of his fingers   
brushing the back of her hand. "I...I...remember you. I can trust you."  
  
*******************  
  
Sam made her way to Jack's quarters. Janet had wanted to keep a close eye   
on Jack after his surgery, however he was becoming restless. He no longer   
wanted to stay in the infirmary, so Janet agreed to partially releasing   
him. He still was required to remain on base for observation, but she   
permitted him to move to his private quarters, as they were more   
comfortable.   
  
His door was closed when Sam reached it, and she didn't want to wake him   
if by chance he was asleep. She turned the knob quietly and stepped into   
the room.  
  
The soft light of the bedside lamp cast a surreal glow on the room. Her   
eyes went immediately to the bed. Not seeing Jack there, she scanned the   
room until she spotted him sitting in the chair in the corner.   
  
Jack's eyes were closed, and he was slumped in the chair appearing to be   
asleep. In fact he looked quite uncomfortable. But any sleep was better   
than no sleep, Sam thought.  
  
She took a blanket off of the bed and draped it across his shoulders. She   
kissed him gently on the forehead when he spoke.   
  
"You know, you were with me every night." Sam had to strain to hear him;   
he said it so softly.   
  
"What?" She didn't understand what he was talking about.  
  
"When I was ... captured ... you were with me." Jack opened his eyes.   
They connected with hers, and it was as if he could see clear to her   
soul.   
  
He went on. "I didn't know who you were most of the time. I just knew I   
loved you. And that you loved me. Whenever I was...hurting...you were   
there with me ... smiling at me ... loving me."  
  
Sam hung his every word. She wasn't sure what to think. Jack hadn't   
really talked about the time he was in captivity. He had been avoiding   
the entire subject. But this...this was something new. Something that she   
didn't know how to take. She was fascinated, yet bemused.  
  
Jack took her hands in his and drew her onto his lap. She was stiff at   
first, not wanting to hinder his healing injuries. He wrapped his arms   
around her and held her close. Sam remained silent feeling Jack's need to   
enlighten her.   
  
"The baby...I felt our baby. When you were with me. I felt it move inside   
you. I thought it was just a silly dream, but it wasn't. I knew...somehow   
I knew it was real." Jack moved one of his hands under her shirt to rest   
on her swollen stomach. He sighed contentedly when the baby moved against   
his hand.   
  
Sam went still. She'd had a dream several weeks' back. She dreamt that   
Jack was with her and he had felt the first time the baby moved. But she   
had pushed it away, dismissing it as nothing more than a grief concocted   
dream. But was it really? Jack just described it to her...could it have   
been more than a dream? A way they had somehow connected from across the   
galaxies?  
  
Just that one gesture moved Sam to tears. She had tried to be strong for   
Jack these past couple of weeks, but it was all too much. Just a few   
hours ago she didn't know how much longer she could handle it. Seeing   
Jack day in and day out, so fragile, so...broken was nearly enough to   
cause her to break down herself. But she had held strong, for his sake.   
She couldn't let him see how this was affecting her.  
  
Jack reached up and wiped at the tears gathering on her cheeks. "Sam   
please don't cry." He whispered.   
  
"I can't...I'm sorry...Jack" She managed between sobs.   
  
"You don't have to be sorry, Sammy. I didn't mean to make you cry." He   
said holding her closer.   
  
"You didn't. It's just...everything...so much is happening. I don't know   
what to do. I should, but I don't."  
  
"Sam, you shouldn't be worrying about all this. I'm gonna be okay. I know   
it will take a while...but...it will happen. What you need to do is   
concentrate on this baby. You need to keep your strength up and get   
enough rest. You only have four more months till this little one gets   
here and you need to take it easy. Don't worry about me so much, I'll be   
okay, really." He said smiling down at her.   
  
"Oh, Jack, I just want things to be normal again." Sam said against his   
neck, her sobbing having subsided to sniffles.   
  
"Hey now, when has our lives ever been normal, since we met." He ran his   
finger under her chin, getting him a smile.   
  
"True." She said around a giggle. "I just want things to go better than   
they have been. I would never complain if our lives were ever boring from   
now on."  
  
"Boring? You expect to have a boring life with me? I'm hurt!" Jack said   
in mock seriousness.   
  
"Okay, let's just say, less eventful then. I guess once we have a baby   
though our lives will be anything but that."  
  
"That's for sure. I can't wait to be a Daddy. This baby is going to know   
it's loved; I'll make sure of it. It's not every day that a guy gets this   
lucky ya know." He commented.  
  
Sam wondered if Jack remembered at all about Charlie. Did he remember   
that this wasn't the first time he was a father? Should she tell him? And   
if she did, could he handle it, in the precious state of mind he was in   
currently. Sam decided not to say anything. Something like that...well,   
that was something he should probably remember on his own.   
  
She did remember what she had come to tell Jack about though. It would   
lift his spirits no doubt.  
  
"Jack? I have some good news. Janet is releasing you tomorrow. She said   
that you have shown incredible improvement with your surgeries and   
rehabilitation that she's letting you go home." Sam said hoping Jack   
would be pleased.   
  
"Ahh, sweet. I am so ready to get outta here. Any place would be better   
than stuck inside these metal walls hundreds of feet below the surface.   
And if you're gonna be there...then nothing could be better than that."   
Jack placed a kiss on Sam's lips.  
  
*******************  
  
Sam gripped Jack's hand firmly in her own as she led him up the walk to   
the front door of their home. She could feel his constant motion, his   
head darting from side to side, eyes roaming to take in everything around   
him.   
  
She could sense his frustration that he couldn't remember this place any   
better than anything else. She knew what he was feeling at the moment,   
she knew that whilst everything and everyone had a sense of familiarity   
to him, that was all he had. There were no firm, pertinent, memories,   
nothing absolute except for the occasional flashes of particularly   
poignant moments from his past.  
  
Releasing his hand for a moment, she hastily unlocked and opened the door   
before taking it again, offering him a comforting smile at the same time.   
She could see him getting increasingly nervous, his grip on her hand   
tightening.  
  
Sam stepped inside, pulling him with her. His eyes were darting about   
the entranceway, his shoulders slumping slightly. He looked almost   
childlike, his eyes wide and inquisitive on his still pale face. She   
could see that nothing in the hall was sparking a memory, but she had   
expected that.  
  
She led him deeper into the house. She had already formed in her mind   
which rooms were most likely to elicit those memories; she planned on   
taking him to those rooms first. They stepped down into the living room   
and Sam let go of his hand to allow him the chance to move around the   
room unhindered and look at the mementos of his past that were gathered   
there. She settled into the armchair and watched him.  
  
His movements were slow and deliberate. He edged around the room   
quietly, slowly taking in each ornament, each piece of furniture and   
adornment. His hands remained at his side, his posture stiff and self-  
conscious.   
  
Sam could feel herself tensing more and more the further around the room   
he got. She was doing everything she could think of to try and kick-  
start his memories; even this didn't seem to be working. She closed her   
eyes for a moment, trying to suppress her own frustration at the   
situation. She felt so helpless.   
  
A strangled moan tore her eyes back open. Jack had made it to the   
hearth; he stood rooted in place, his eyes glued to the photo that they   
had argued about so many months before. She didn't know what to do. Was   
he remembering something? He was standing so still, so rigid, that if it   
wasn't for the movement of his chest you could have taken him for a   
statue. She didn't move; she couldn't. She didn't want to risk   
interrupting him if he was in fact remembering something.  
  
When he did finally move it was so quick and sudden that he startled her.   
Snatching the picture off the wall, he crossed the room in two large   
steps. His eyes were wild, his expression furious and hurt, his face was   
red and he was shaking with barely suppressed emotion. He towered above   
her, forcing her to crane her neck to look up at him and brandishing the   
frame in a white knuckled grip.  
  
"How could you not tell me Sam?" he bit out with a ferocity she hadn't   
heard from him before. "How could you not have warned me what happened to   
my son?"  
  
His voice was strangled; he was fighting back tears. Looking ready to   
tear the place apart, he raised his arm and brought it down forcefully,   
releasing the frame at the bottom of the arch. It struck the floor with   
a resounding crash. She barely flinched, knowing that even in a rage he   
wouldn't hurt her. She held his angry gaze, not even glancing at the   
shattered picture, though the action had surprised her deeply. Jack was   
not a violent man.  
  
Sam couldn't answer him, partly because she couldn't find her voice and   
partly because she had no answer for him. How would he feel if she told   
him that she didn't tell him because she thought the picture of Charlie   
would shock him into remembering something?  
  
Her mouth opened and she snapped it shut again with an audible pop.   
Jack's face twisted in an array of emotions – sadness, pain, remorse,   
anger. He turned quickly and stalked out of the living room. Sam sat   
forward, grasping at the air where he had just been standing. "Jack,   
wait!" she called just as the door slammed shut behind him.  
  
*******************  
  
Jack had to get out of the house; he had to get away from the memories   
that had suddenly soared up at the sight of the picture of his son. He   
had to get away from Sam. He had to sort out the jumble of emotions that   
were suddenly roiling through his confused mind.   
  
He had no idea where he was going, but before he knew it he was   
scrabbling up a ladder and was standing on a little platform on the roof   
of his house. He glanced around, his eyes sliding past the telescope to   
the chair, and he settled down in it silently. He did not remember that   
he had this up here, but instinctively he had known it was here, that   
this was his sanctuary when he wanted to escape.  
  
His body was aching, his cheek throbbing in a slow stabbing pain that was   
growing to be nearly unbearable. It would have been, if he didn't have   
so much running through his mind distracting him. //How could Sam have   
done that? How could she have not told me?//  
  
Unwillingly he closed his eyes and the memories flooded over him in a   
rush that left his head spinning. Faces, places, sounds, voices spun   
around his mind quickly, with no form and no sequence. He tried to slow   
the flow, try and make sense of the puzzle his mind was throwing up in   
front of him.  
  
**  
  
Jack walked slowly through the back yard, his eyes darting left to right   
searching for any sign of Charlie. Tightening his grip on the baseball   
mitt in his hand, he turned his attention to the playhouse that Charlie   
lived in most days.  
  
"Charlie?" He called out. "Sorry I'm late ... stopped to get you   
something," he explained, banging the mitt against his palm. He knew   
Charlie was probably angry with him. He had promised to take him out to   
the park to play some ball three hours ago, but as usual Jack had been   
held up at the base and was late. "You there?"  
  
Charlie raced out from behind the playhouse in a blur. He raised his   
arms in front of him; something green and plastic gripped between his   
small hands. "You're dead!"  
  
Jack started when he realized what it was, a tiny ball of dread forming   
in his stomach. A gun. Charlie was playing with a gun. "Where'd you get   
that?" he asked, surprise making the question a little gruffer than he   
had intended.  
  
"Jeff Eisen gave it to me," Charlie answered defensively. "It's just a   
water gun."  
  
Jack reached out and took the gun out of Charlie's hands. He wasn't a   
strict father, but this was the only thing he and Sara had been adamant   
about. They didn't want Charlie playing with guns. "It doesn't matter."  
  
"You have a gun," Charlie argued.  
  
Always the same. Charlie always used this argument when it came down to   
guns, almost like he didn't understand that Jack's gun was a lot more   
dangerous, that it was a deadly weapon. "That's different," he replied   
flatly  
  
"Why?"  
  
Jack shook his head in frustration. They had gone over this time and   
time again. Why didn't he just listen? Why didn't he realize that guns   
were dangerous?   
  
Charlie's face turned red, as if he knew what his father's answer was   
going to be. Again. He brushed past Jack.  
  
"Charlie?" Jack turned in the direction Charlie was heading. "Charlie,   
where are you going?"  
  
Charlie turned slowly, angrily. "Inside," he replied bitingly. Turning   
on his heel he started running up the back stairs to the house. He   
slammed the door shut behind him.  
  
**  
  
Jack gripped his head in his hands, fighting back the tears that were   
suddenly threatening. They had argued about guns two weeks before the   
accident. He remembered that now. He remembered how Charlie had avoided   
him angrily for the rest of the evening, and whenever he had tried to   
bring the issue up Charlie would walk away.  
  
Oh god. Tears began to flow down his cheeks as he remembered how rotten   
he had felt after that argument. But even in retrospect he knew that he   
wouldn't have handled it any differently.   
  
Another, more vibrant memory stuck in his mind.  
  
**  
  
Pulling his jeep up in the driveway, Jack quickly put it in park and   
hopped out, relieved to finally be home. He had just been given a weeks   
leave, a week to spend with Sara and Charlie, doing all the family things   
that he always missed out on because of his work.  
  
Sara was sitting on the front steps, pruning back a potted rose, basking   
in the last of the afternoon sunlight. She looked radiant, she looked   
beautiful. God he'd missed her. Breaking into a jog he crossed the   
front yard and sat on the step next to her. She was grinning at him; he   
couldn't help smiling back. He pulled her into his arms and brushed a   
quick kiss across her lips.  
  
"How was your day?"  
  
Sara smiled one of her priceless smiles. "Fine," she replied, she reached   
behind her and picked something up. "Oh, look what came home from school   
today."  
  
She handed Jack a photo and he took it. He looked down and smiled.   
Charlie had been adamant that he wasn't going to have his photo taken   
that day. He had kicked up such a fuss when they told him that he had   
to. The photo was great.  
  
"Is Charlie about ready?" he asked. They had an appointment with the   
park that he intended to keep today.  
  
"Yeah," Sara replied happily, looking around the yard for him. "He was   
running around here a few minutes ago."  
  
The sound echoed through the neighborhood, reverberating in Jack's ears.   
It was a distinctive sound, but it took a moment for him to realize what   
it was. His gaze shot to the window of his office. The sound had come   
from in there. A gun shot.  
  
"Charlie!" Sara yelled, but it was indistinct.  
  
Jack had already stood, automatically racing in the house and up the   
stairs as the sound still echoed through his ears. The door to his   
office was closed. He forced down the panic that suddenly roared up on   
him as he gripped the handle of the door, twisted and pushed.  
  
The sight that confronted him would forever haunt him. Charlie, lying on   
the floor, Jack's gun lying inches from his hand. His eyes were drawn to   
the blood blossoming on his dying son's torn chest.  
  
**  
  
Jack gasped and opened his eyes. He was unable to stop the tears that   
ran down his face, the sobs that shook his shoulders violently. It hurt   
so much, like it was happening all over again, like he was experiencing   
it for the first time.  
  
Arms slid around his shoulders, pulling him into their warm, comforting   
embrace. He hadn't even heard Sam come up. He couldn't be angry with   
her anymore; it didn't even seem consequential anymore. He had lost his   
son, with his own weapon.  
  
"Ssh baby," she whispered into his ear. "It's okay. I'm so sorry Jack"  
  
He wrapped his arms around her, and allowed himself to do the one thing   
that he had been unable to do back then, even with his wife. He let it   
all out.  
  
*******************  
  
Sam had lost all track of time as she sat on the rooftop platform holding   
Jack in her arms. She tried to fight back the nagging, pervading guilt   
that she felt. She had caused this, by not telling him about Charlie she   
had caused him this pain. She was also aware that he was allowing   
himself to release the feelings that he had kept pent up since Charlie   
had died.  
  
Jack had been sobbing for what seemed like hours, though he had not   
spoken a word. She knew that he needed to get it out, that he was   
releasing seven years worth of pain and heartache, and that it was only   
the beginning of mending the rift in his heart. If he was finally   
willing to confront his demons now, she knew it would take time for him   
to heal. She would be there for him through it.  
  
She closed her eyes and held him tighter in her arms. She could only   
begin to imagine what it must have been like. To outlive your own child,   
no parent should ever have to deal with a burden as great as that. To   
have lost that child in such a senseless and tragic way ... she wasn't at   
all certain that she would be able to cope if it had happened to her   
child.  
  
Jack gave a shuddering breath and pulled back slightly, enough to meet   
her eyes. Her breath was taken away by the pain she saw shining in the   
depths of his eyes. Her heart went out to him. He looked so powerless   
and vulnerable. She had never seen him look this way before.  
  
Cupping his cheek with her hand, she caressed it slightly. "Do you want   
to tell me about what happened?" she whispered, leaning forward and   
brushing the lightest of kisses on his forehead.  
  
His shoulders began shaking slightly. She enveloped him in her arms; it   
was so hard seeing him like this and being completely unable to help him.   
He buried his face in her neck. "I've never told you about it, have I?"   
he asked, his voice slightly muffled.  
  
Sam shook her head. "No. I don't think you've really talked to anyone   
about what happened, Jack," she replied quietly. "But I knew you would   
tell me about it in your own time."  
  
She could feel his lips move across her collarbone in a tiny smile. "Even   
if my own time meant years ... or never?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"It's just ... it hurts so much to even think about it," he told her,   
pulling away from her slightly.  
  
"I know it does Jack," she responded,"but it helps to talk about it."  
  
Sam moved away from him, wanting to give him space, to show him that she   
wasn't about to pressure him into talking to her- to show him that she   
was willing to listen whenever he was willing to talk to her. She held   
his hand, though, tightly in her own, hoping to offer comfort in that   
small way.  
  
She watched him as he closed his eyes. His face looked tormented, like   
he was reliving the moment again. Fresh tears trailed down his cheeks.   
He opened them again, his dark eyes catching hers. "I killed him. I   
killed my son."  
  
The pain in his voice tore at her heart. Holding his gaze, she gave his   
hand a little squeeze. "It was an accident, Jack. You didn't kill him."  
  
"It was an accident that shouldn't have happened," he grated angrily,   
tearing his hand out of hers. "I should have locked my gun away. I   
shouldn't have even had one in the house!"  
  
"Why? I'll always have one in mine ... in ours."  
  
"No you won't," he snapped coldly.  
  
Sam could feel him withdrawing from her, drawing back into himself. She   
couldn't let him do it. It was what he had always done, shut the pain   
away to be dealt with later. To never be dealt with. "Yes," she replied   
firmly. "I will. I want my family to be safe. I want to be able to   
defend myself if we're threatened."  
  
"How can they be safe with a weapon in the house, Sam?" he asked his   
voice thick with disbelief. "I thought the same thing when Charlie was   
born and look what happened! He found it ... he thought it was a toy,   
despite me and Sara telling him time and time again that guns were   
dangerous!"  
  
"You weren't to know that he was going to find it," Sam said quietly.  
  
Jack stood quickly, startling her. Recrimination and anger flashed   
through his features. "I should have, Sam. Two weeks before I told him   
off for playing with a stupid plastic water gun. He didn't understand   
why he wasn't allowed to play with them. We argued about it, but I   
couldn't make him understand."  
  
His face crumpled and he turned away from her, his shoulders shaking   
slightly. Sam was about to stand, was about to reach out to him when he   
spoke again. "If I had been home more, maybe I could have made him   
understand, but I wasn't. He idolized me, not because I was his dad, but   
because I got to run around with a gun. He wanted to be just like me."  
  
His voice was quiet, the anger faded away and replaced by dejection. Sam   
wanted so much to reach out and touch him, to try and take away the pain,   
but she knew she couldn't, that he wouldn't want her to. "But I never   
once thought that he would find my gun. I had it hidden away up in my   
closet; I thought he would never be able to reach it up there. I just   
didn't see it coming."  
  
"That picture downstairs on the wall ... we got that that day. Sara was   
showing it to me when we heard the gunshot. I didn't even know what the   
sound was; it took me a while to realize. When I got upstairs I ... he   
was just lying there. He wasn't even crying ... he didn't make a sound,   
but his eyes were open, he knew what was happening."  
  
"I couldn't move Sam, for the longest time I stood there trying to   
understand what I was seeing. He looked so small; he was just a baby.   
When I did finally move, there was nothing I could do. I held him in my   
arms. I tried to stop the bleeding, there was just so much of it. I   
held him all the way to the hospital. I held him as he took that last   
breath and died."  
  
His voice broke with emotion and he began sobbing again. Sam quickly   
stood and closed the gap between them. She turned him around and wrapped   
her arms around him, feeling her own tears prickling her eyelids. "I'm so   
sorry, Jack."  
  
His arms locked behind her and he held her tightly against him like he   
never wanted to let her go. She could feel his lips pressed against her   
collarbone, he kissed it softly. "Don't be sorry ... don't pity me, Sam,"   
he murmured, his lips still brushing against her collarbone. "Parents   
aren't supposed to outlive their kids, but there's nothing you and I can   
do to change what happened to Charlie. I have a second chance now Sam,   
and I'm not going to blow it."  
  
Sam flushed slightly, trying to ignore the feelings that Jack's lips were   
inciting in her. The fire in his voice offered her a small measure of   
relief, demolishing the small glimmer of fear that she felt that he might   
have given up on them. She closed her eyes and let out the breath she   
hadn't realized she was holding. "I'll always be here for you Jack,   
whether you want to talk about it or just want me to hold you."  
  
"I know that baby," he replied huskily, his hand drifting up to settle on   
the back of her neck.  
  
She felt herself melting. He hadn't called her that since he had gotten   
back. Breaking the embrace she silently took his hand and led him down   
off the roof. Maybe things were going to work out okay after all.  
  
*******************  
  
Jack's eyes burned. He had been staring at the ceiling for what felt   
like hours, fighting a battle with eyelids that were growing heavier and   
heavier with each passing moment. Sam's soft breathing was tickling his   
shoulder. He could feel the soft swell of her belly pressed against his   
side, moving slightly as she breathed. He ran his fingers in soft   
circles around the small of her back. He loved touching her.  
  
She muttered something unintelligible and rolled onto her back. His eyes   
followed her, naked and exposed to him from the waist up. He moved onto   
his side so he could look at her without having to worry about her   
getting self-conscious at the attention he was paying her. Her growing   
belly; smooth, flawless skin; her perfect, pert breasts. She was the   
most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and she was his.  
  
He sighed, suddenly feeling the need to be doing something. Sitting up   
slightly, Jack slid out of the bed, unable and unwilling to sleep, and   
careful not to wake the sleeping woman next to him. Leaning across the   
bed, he brushed a kiss onto her cheek and tucked the blankets up to her   
chin. She sighed softly and rolled over onto her side.  
  
Tugging on a shirt and tracksuit pants, he padded quietly out of the   
bedroom. He was exhausted, but he couldn't bring himself to let his eyes   
slide shut. Sleeping meant dreams; it meant being painfully reminded of   
the atrocities that Bastet and her loyal Jaffa had done to him. He never   
wanted to relive that again, he didn't even want to be reminded of it.  
  
At least by not sleeping he had the opportunity to explore the house at   
his own pace, to see if anything triggered a memory. If he wasn't going   
to sleep he might as well be doing something useful with his time.   
Stepping into the hall, he pulled the bedroom door shut behind him.  
  
Glancing around him he slid a hand along the wall, instinctively seeking   
out the switch he knew was nestled there. He flicked the switch,   
squinting as light suddenly flooded the hall. He quickly turned the   
dimmer down, enough to illuminate the hall, without being blinded   
himself.  
  
His gaze flickered around the hallway as he tried to decide where to   
begin his exploration. His eyes were drawn to the closed door directly   
opposite their bedroom. Something was tickling at the back of his mind;   
a thought niggling at him that he should know what this room was.   
Something told him that it was important.  
  
The feeling spurring him on, he took a couple of steps across the hall   
and gripped the handle, wracking his brain to try and remember why this   
particular room felt so important to him. When he realized that the   
answer wasn't just going to pop into his head, he turned the handle and   
pushed the door open.  
  
Sliding his hand along the wall, he switched on the light and stood   
studying the room for a long time. A wealth of images flashed into his   
mind in a breathless blur, confirming that his feeling had been right,   
that this room was important, not only to him but to Sam as well.  
  
It was the baby's room, but not only that. He had proposed to Sam in   
this room, the same night that he, Daniel and Teal'c had finished   
decorating it. He closed his eyes, immersing himself in the memories.   
His search for the perfect ring and subsequently finding it, the very one   
that was now prominently displayed on her ring finger. Decorating the   
room with Teal'c and Daniel. His nervousness that night when he asked   
her to marry him.  
  
Jack smiled at the memories. He had known during his captivity that his   
feelings were very real, but with the lack of a specific memory to base   
them on he had wondered whether it was something his mind had conjured up   
to give him a reason to live. He had returned to have the feelings   
validated, but still have no memory of their life together. It was nice,   
though, to now remember some of the events that formed their   
relationship.  
  
He loved her. He loved their unborn child.  
  
A soft knock at the door startled him, and the memories fled. Who the   
hell was that? Quickly, he left the room and rushed to the door before   
the person could knock on the door again, waking Sam. He didn't want   
that, she needed the rest. He pulled the door open and stopped a biting   
remark ready on his tongue.  
  
"Uh ... Hi Jack."  
  
"Daniel?" Jack asked uncertainly. A visit from the younger man had been   
the last thing he had been expecting, especially at two o'clock in the   
morning. He could see the hesitation in Daniel's youthful face, and he   
could read him enough to see that something was bothering him. Why else   
would he be here now? "Bit late for a social call isn't it?"  
  
Daniel flashed him a quick smile that didn't reach his eyes. He   
shrugged,"Yeah I guess it is, but it looked like you were still up. The   
lights were on."  
  
Jack nodded as he stepped out of the doorway to let Daniel in. "Yeah,   
havin' trouble sleeping," he replied. "Coffee?"  
  
He saw Daniel's eyes light up as he stepped into the hall and pulled the   
door shut behind him. "Please."  
  
Leaving Daniel to remove his coat in the hall, Jack moved into the   
kitchen and started to prepare the coffees. Somehow he had known that   
coffee was Daniel's vice. He walked back into the living room shortly   
carrying two steaming mugs. He handed one to Daniel before he sat in his   
chair opposite the sofa. Daniel took a careful swig of the hot liquid   
then placed the mug on the coffee table in front of him. He leaned back   
against the sofa and exhaled deeply.  
  
"So what brings you here so late Daniel?" Jack asked, naturally intrigued   
by the late call. "I mean, is this normal? You coming around at some   
ungodly hour?"  
  
Daniel smiled the first genuine smile Jack had seen from him tonight.   
"I've done it occasionally, you have too. Besides, you were up anyway."  
  
"Yeah I was." Jack replied quietly, lapsing into silence. He could tell   
that Daniel had obviously come to talk to him about something, but he   
didn't feel right asking him what it was. It seemed to him that Daniel   
wasn't ready to talk about what was bothering him anyway.  
  
"You still don't remember me, do you Jack?" Daniel asked, breaking the   
silence, frustration lacing the disappointed tone in his voice. He stood   
up from his seat and began pacing the length of the living room. "You   
don't remember the first Abydos mission, our first meeting. Me staying   
behind on Abydos to be with Sha're?"  
  
"Who's Sha're?"  
  
Daniel stopped in mid-step, his eyes wide with surprise. "My wife Jack."  
  
"Oh," Jack responded stupidly, his mind working overtime to process this   
new information. "Wife? But what about Janet?"  
  
Jack didn't miss the sad look that flittered across Daniel's face. "She's   
dead Jack," he muttered darkly,"but that's not the point. The point is   
that we've been friends for years. You've saved my life hundreds of   
times. You've trusted me with your life..."  
  
//You've trusted me with your life.// He didn't hear the rest of what   
Daniel said. The line struck a cord with him. It sparked a memory.  
  
**  
  
He was hiding in the shadows, hoping that it would provide him enough   
cover. A tenseness filled the temple grounds, he could feel it from   
Carter, could feel it in Teal'c's and Bratac's readiness. They were   
outgunned and outnumbered, surprise was their only chance.  
  
The footsteps echoed in the grounds as the Jaffa stepped through the   
entranceway to the Temple. Jack watched from his vantage point as they   
walked straight down the main path, filled with their own sense of self-  
importance.   
  
It was then Jack noticed the Monk standing in front of the main door to   
the temple. This was not going to be good. With a nagging sense of   
dread he watched as the Jaffa approached the monk, helpless to do   
anything to help. He couldn't give up his position; it would risk the   
rest of the team.  
  
"You are not welcome here," the young monk told them innocently.  
  
Jack flinched. They didn't care about that; all they cared about was   
getting the Harcesis for their snakehead god.  
  
"In the name of the god Apophis we've come for a young boy," the Jaffa   
told him.  
  
"You will leave now."  
  
Jack shook his head. //Don't be stupid!// Didn't he realize how   
ruthless and dangerous these men are, or did he think his little trick   
with the flame might scare them away?  
  
"We will not," the Jaffa responded, inching closer to the Monk. "Stand   
aside."  
  
A sudden crash of thunder drew Jack's attention from the scene in front   
of him to the sky. It had been crystal clear moments before, but now he   
could see a massive storm front rolling in, fast. He glanced quickly at   
Sam and found she was looking at the same thing. She met his eyes, her   
expression mirroring his own. Things were rapidly going from bad to   
worse.  
  
Jack tightened his grip on his P-90 as he turned his attention back on   
the Jaffa in time to see him charge his staff and fire one shot. The   
monk fell back as the blast went clear through his chest, dead before he   
even hit the ground.  
  
"No!" Daniel's yell echoed through the grounds. He raced out of the main   
doors in a blur, still barefoot and seemingly unaware of the danger he   
had just run into. He stopped next to the Monk's body, oblivious to the   
fact that five staff weapons were now fixed in his direction.  
  
Jack had to act. He stood quickly, aiming his P-90 at the head Jaffa's   
chest. "Drop your weapons!"  
  
The Jaffas' attention, and their staffs, turn on Jack and he wonders if   
his decision to come out of cover was wise, but it was Daniel's life at   
stake here after all. He can hear Sam moving next to him, though not   
standing, as well as Teal'c and Bra'tac and the familiar sounds of their   
staffs charging. His finger tightens slightly over the trigger of his   
gun. //Oh this is SO not good!// "Do it!"  
  
The Jaffa looks at him scornfully. "Kreel sekh," he spits.  
  
//Like I'm supposed to know what that means!// Trying to keep one eye on   
Daniel and the other on the Jaffa, Jack watches as the Archeologist   
stands from the Monk's side, sadness written clear on his face. He   
raises his hands above his head and starts moving closer to the Jaffa.   
"Drop your weapons!"  
  
They weren't moving. The Jaffa's attention turned back to Daniel. Jack   
went back on guard. // Don't do anything stupid Danny! Don't draw   
attention to yourself!// "You heard him!" Jack yelled in an attempt to   
divert their attention from Daniel.  
  
"I was talking to you Jack," his voice was quiet, but deadly serious.  
  
"Wha...", Jack stopped, almost lowering the P-90. He couldn't believe   
what he was hearing. "What?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
"Do it now, all of you." He was still moving forward slowly. His arms   
were still raised above his head. Purposefully, he seemed to stop once   
he was standing almost directly in between the Jaffa and the rest of his   
team.  
  
"Daniel?" Jack asked sharply. This was crazy, completely and utterly,   
totally insane. Daniel was overstepping the mark now. That bloody monk   
had gotten to him. He was certain that Daniel was going to start talking   
in proverbs soon.  
  
"Jack I was wrong," his voice had taken on an almost pleading tone. "I   
was very wrong. One of those aliens I thought was long gone is still   
here."  
  
//So?// Jack almost snapped at him. What difference does that make? He   
bit his lip, knowing that his decision could mean the difference between   
life and death for all of them.  
  
"Sir, we put our guns down and we're dead," Sam stated the same thought   
that was occupying his mind.  
  
"You are outnumbered and surrounded. You will die if you do not," the   
Jaffa spat haughtily.  
  
"Jack, if you're ever gonna trust me on anything, now is the time,"   
Daniel pleaded. His face showed so much. He looked certain that they   
had to do this, his belief that they would be all right seemed to be   
resolute. "The alien is the one with all the powers and she is not   
someone you want to fool with, if you get my drift."  
  
Jack was pretty sure he had never been in this sort of quandary before.   
His instincts screamed to trust Daniel, but his years in the military   
told him that it was going to make them exposed, that it was an   
unnecessary risk.  
  
"You must do it," Bra'tac whispered urgently.  
  
His decision was made, not without the sinking feel of dread in his   
stomach as he dropped the gun to the ground by his feet. He held   
Daniel's eyes, showing him that he did trust him. If he thought this was   
the right move then he had to believe him. He was relieved to hear Sam's   
gun clatter to the ground, followed quickly by the sounds of the two   
Staff weapons being dropped.  
  
"Kill them."  
  
Instantly he regretted the decision. Was this how it was supposed to be,   
they show an ounce of valor and it gets thrown in their face. They were   
about to die. He kept his eyes open; if he was going to die he wanted to   
face the snakey bastard as he took his life.  
  
He flinched as the Staff's charged again and two shots were fired. He   
couldn't help the feeling of horror he felt as he watched the two   
fireballs speed towards him and Carter. There was so much they all had   
left to say and do, and now they weren't going to get the opportunity.  
  
Jack was about to close his eyes, when a cloud shot in front of them,   
absorbing the energy of the blasts moments before they would have struck   
them. He didn't think he would ever comprehend what had just happened,   
nor could he comprehend the two shots that were fired at Teal's and   
Bra'tac that were absorbed in a similar way.  
  
He glanced at Sam, catching her eye and her slight shrug that she, too,   
had no explanation. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Daniel raise a   
hand and wave at the Jaffa. He mutters something that Jack was pretty   
sure was 'Bye'. //What the hell is going on?//  
  
A massive clap of thunder almost drives him to his knees with its   
intensity, and with a sudden flash the temple grounds fill up with bright   
light. Lightning, Jack suddenly realizes as he makes out five distinct   
bolts shooting out of the sky and into the bodies of the Jaffa. They   
scream in agony for a few moments, their screams accentuated by an   
explosion in the distance that could only be a ship exploding.  
  
Jack stood rooted in place, watching the Jaffa writhe in agony as the   
lightning slowly cooked them from the inside. In a matter of moments the   
show is over, the lightning disappearing as suddenly as it appeared and   
the Jaffa slump to the ground in five separate smoking heaps.  
  
**  
  
Jack gasped and opened his eyes before the memory overwhelmed him. He   
looked up to find Daniel standing over him, a hand gripping his shoulder   
gently, his eyes wide and face pale.  
  
"Jack, are you alright?"  
  
Running a hand over his face, Jack found that he'd been sweating. Damn.   
"Yeah I'm fine Daniel. I just remembered something."  
  
"Oh," Daniel replied. "What?"  
  
"I don't know, Danny." Jack sighed. "We were in a temple, surrounded by   
Jaffa. You asked me to trust you and drop my gun. I did and the Jaffa   
died."  
  
"Oh that. You mean when Oma Desala saved us when we were trying to find   
the Harcesis?"  
  
"I don't really remember the specifics Danny," Jack muttered. He didn't   
want to talk about it. It just made him feel rotten that he still   
couldn't remember much. "You still haven't told me why you've come around   
so late."  
  
Daniel smiled before moving and resuming his seat. He seemed to have   
relaxed a little. "No I haven't, have I?" Pulling off his glasses he   
rubbed at his eyes tiredly. "But now that I'm here it doesn't feel as   
important as it did when I left home."  
  
"Daniel," Jack admonished him sharply,"you didn't turn up here at two   
o'clock in the morning to suddenly change your mind about why you came   
here. It was important then, it must still be important now."  
  
He offered a brief laugh. "You'll never change Jack," he responded. He   
sighed loudly, putting his glasses back on. "Now I feel stupid. I'm ...   
it's gonna sound stupid and petty to you Jack."  
  
"Maybe a beer will help loosen up your tongue a bit?" Jack suggested   
semi-jokingly. It had been quite a while since he'd had a beer.  
  
"You're offering me a beer at two o'clock in the morning?"  
  
Jack shrugged, feigning innocence. "Sure, why not?" He stood quickly and   
headed into the kitchen before Daniel had a chance to reply and quickly   
snagged two beers from the fridge. Walking back into the living room, he   
found Daniel settled back in his seat, the amused look on his face barely   
covering the trepidation. He took the proffered bottle with a word-less   
thanks.   
  
Settling back into his armchair, Jack popped the cap off his bottle and   
took a deep draught, studying Daniel the whole time, marveling at how   
easy it was to read him.  
  
They lapsed into a companionable silence, quietly enjoying their beers.   
Jack could see Daniel about to speak several times, before changing his   
mind. He smiled to himself. "Just spit it out Danny."  
  
Daniel flushed with frustration and slight embarrassment. He set his beer   
down; knowing that he shouldn't have drank it in the first place. It was   
affecting him in a major way. He scrubbed a hand over his face. "I've   
just ... I dunno. I've had a lot on my mind lately."  
  
"Are you and Janet having problems?"  
  
"No!" Daniel replied defensively, straightening in his seat. "I came over   
because I wanted some advice." He was looking more awkward and   
uncomfortable with each passing moment.  
  
Jack felt his eyebrows rise. "Advice? From me?" he asked with surprise   
and a touch of humor in his voice.  
  
A sheepish look crossed Daniel's face. Leaning forward he picked up the   
bottle again and took another mouthful. "Yeah."  
  
Jack shook his head in amazement. "Wow," he murmured. "Are you sure I'm   
the right person to give you advice?" he joked.  
  
Daniel's lips formed a tight line. Banging the bottle down on the table,   
he stood up, his face red with anger. "You're right. I should've known   
better." Turning, he began to stalk swiftly up the stairs to the door.  
  
"Daniel, wait," Jack called after him. "I was kidding!" He stood   
quickly, racing after the younger man, catching him before he managed to   
open the front door. "Daniel, stop!"  
  
Daniel turned, looking more and more irritated. "Jack, this isn't   
something to joke about. I've been doing some real serious thinking, and   
I wanted to get your advice about it, not be ridiculed."  
  
Jack reached out and grabbed his arm. Turning him he led him back down   
to the lounge. "I'm sorry Daniel. You know me; I always say the wrong   
thing at the wrong time."  
  
Daniel snorted; letting himself be guided back to his seat. "Yeah you   
do."  
  
Jack snatched up his beer and settled back in his armchair. "So what did   
you want my advice about?"  
  
Daniel sighed, nervousness tingeing his face making him look even   
younger. "I've been thinking about asking Janet to marry me. I want to   
have a family with her, I want kids."  
  
Jack couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. Daniel and   
Janet made such a cute couple. He could see how deeply they felt about   
each other; feel the love so to speak. He might not remember how long   
they had been together, but it didn't matter. "That's great, Daniel!"  
  
Shifting in his seat, Daniel forced a smile. "Yeah I guess. I just ... I   
don't know if it's the right time, or even if it's what she wants. I   
don't want anything to go wrong."  
  
Jack sat forward in his seat. "Why wouldn't she want to marry you Daniel?   
You're a great guy and I can see how much she loves you."  
  
"How do you know I'm a great guy?" Daniel muttered under his breath, but   
Jack still caught the words.  
  
He knew he would be lying to himself if he tried to believe they didn't   
sting a little. "Daniel, just because I can't remember much doesn't mean   
I don't know. We wouldn't be friends if you weren't would we?"  
  
"No, we wouldn't," Daniel replied despondently, flushing with   
embarrassment. "The thing is I don't want her to feel pressured, to feel   
like I'm rushing things with her."  
  
Jack watched as Daniel stood and started pacing again. He settled back   
in his seat, sensing that Daniel could probably pace restlessly for quite   
a while. "How long has this been on your mind?"  
  
Daniel paused, glancing back at him with chagrin. "Umm ... actually when   
you and Sam ... when I found out you were having a baby," he replied   
quietly.  
  
He sank back down on the sofa, studiously avoiding meeting Jack's eyes.   
A silence developed between them, thick, though not uncomfortable. Jack   
searched his muddled mind to try and find something motivational to say   
to Daniel. What would I have told him in the past?  
  
"Look, Daniel," he said, breaking the silence. "All I can say is that you   
have to do what feels right to you. If you feel in your gut that you   
want to spend the rest of your life with her, tell her that."  
  
Daniel studied him for a long time, his face unreadable. Jack could see   
the thoughts ticking over in those intelligent eyes. A smile slid   
leisurely over the younger man's face. "Thanks Jack. I knew you'd be   
able to help."  
  
He jumped up, moving fast towards the steps, obviously intending on   
leaving. Jack reached out his arm as he moved past, stopping him. "Where   
are you going?"  
  
"Home."  
  
Jack stood up, still gripping his arm. "No your not, I know what you and   
alcohol are like," he told him, somehow knowing that Daniel and alcohol   
did not mix well at all. "You can crash in the spare room, the beds   
already made up."  
  
Daniel smiled at him. "You're right about that," he laughed. "But I'm not   
actually that tired."  
  
Jack clapped him on the back. "Another beer then?" he asked, taking his   
arm and leading him back towards the kitchen. He had missed beer, more   
than he thought possible. //Beer and hockey.// The thought popped into   
his head and his smile widened.  
  
Daniel shot him a wary look. "You trying to get me drunk, Jack?"  
  
"Who me?" he replied innocently. "No! No reason why we can't enjoy   
another though is there? We're just two friends kicking back, enjoying a   
drink, reminiscing..." He drifted off for a moment. "Well you'll be the   
doing the reminiscing for the moment."  
  
Daniel laughed softly and something in it told Jack that this was   
something the younger man needed, something they hadn't done for a long   
time. "Sounds good, Jack. Sounds real good."  
  
*******************  
  
Janet rolled over onto her side, stretching her arm out across her bed to   
find it disconcertingly empty and cold. She opened her eyes with a sigh   
as she attempted to quell the nagging worry that she was beginning to   
feel.  
  
This was the first night in months that they hadn't been together, apart   
from the times Daniel had been off world on a mission. Every night he   
was Earth-side they were together, except for tonight. In fact, she   
hadn't seen or heard from him since lunch at the base, which was unusual   
in itself. Where was he?  
  
Now that she thought about it, he had been acting strangely lately. He'd   
grown quiet and distant, more so once Jack had been found and returned.   
She had just assumed it was out of concern for his friend, then later   
because of Jack's inability to remember anything. Jack was his best   
friend, she knew it chafed at Daniel that he didn't even remember him.  
  
Maybe she had been wrong. Maybe it wasn't Jack that had been bothering   
him after all, not totally. Which only left one thing that it could   
possibly be. Her ... them ... their relationship. She tried to dismiss   
the thought. If there was anything wrong between them she would know.   
If Daniel was bothered by something between them he would have talked to   
her.  
  
//Stop being silly!// She berated herself. Tossing the bedclothes back,   
she crawled out of bed knowing she wasn't going to be getting anymore   
sleep tonight. She was too worked up, she was too worried. This was so   
unlike Daniel.  
  
She padded quietly out of the bedroom, almost tiptoeing down the hallway   
past Cassie's room. The last thing she wanted was a grumpy teenager on   
her hands. She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. She needed   
coffee, lots and lots of coffee.  
  
As she pottered around the kitchen, she risked a glance at the clock on   
the microwave. She hadn't slept a wink all night, but had been curiously   
reluctant to check the time. That would just make her seem possessive.   
Something must have come up, that's all; she tried to reassure herself.  
  
He probably got busy translating some amazingly ancient message on a   
stone slab stuck in a dark corner of his office, or he was evaluating   
some video feedback on their latest mission trying to decipher some   
glyphs that hadn't been seen in millennia. He'd done that before. But   
he normally phoned at some stage, just for a chat. No matter how much he   
got tied up in his artifacts he always seemed to find the time to pick up   
the phone and chat, no matter how fascinating the item was.  
  
Janet poured herself a cup of coffee as soon as it finished brewing. She   
relocated herself to the living room, where she could be more comfortable   
while she waited. She knew that Daniel would be home any time. He would   
walk through the door carry his tote with his arms full of books and   
papers like he always did. Then she would go over and help relieve him of   
his self-made burden and they would make their way upstairs to their   
bedroom like they always did.  
  
Janet looked at the phone sitting on the coffee table, willing it to   
ring. Any minute it would ring and Daniel would tell her he was sorry for   
being late and he would be home soon. She sat ... and waited ... and it   
still didn't ring. 0345. I can't take it anymore. She picked up the phone   
and dialed the number to Daniel's office. It rang once ... she was being   
silly ... it rang twice ... he was going tell her that she was silly for   
worrying ... it rang three times ... four times ... five ... six ...   
  
Janet sat there listening to the hollow ringing for what seemed forever.   
Finally she hung up the phone. Where could he be?  
  
A thought struck her and she smiled. Sometimes Daniel would use Sam's lab   
for research. So he wouldn't be within hearing distance of his phone. She   
dialed the number to Sam's lab, and waited. After waiting for another   
five minutes she hung up the phone, frustrated and experiencing the   
beginning stages of concern.  
  
The dark was starting to close in on her, making her feel claustrophobic.   
Her worry was increasing with each passing moment as she sat in the   
darkened room searching her mind for some reason that Daniel wasn't at   
home, and where the hell he might be at this time in the morning.  
  
0400.  
  
She dialed the number to the only other place Daniel could be. Sam and   
Jack's. Flinching, she hoped that they wouldn't be too upset at this   
late night ... //early morning// ... intrusion. She felt herself tensing   
as the phone rang once ... twice ...  
  
"O'Neill's House of Madness," a voice slurred over the phone, followed by   
a series of very unmasculine giggles. Jack, a very inebriated Jack by   
the sound of it. The doctor in her felt its hackles rise, and she bit   
down the urge to berate him for drinking alcohol whilst on pain killers,   
but he of all people deserved it at the moment.  
  
She could hear muffled giggles in the background, a male by the sounds of   
it. It couldn't be, she thought, not Daniel. "Jack? It's Janet."  
"Jannie!!" Jack squealed down the line a strangely girlie sound coming   
from the Air Force Colonel, forcing her to pull the phone away from her   
ear. "How are you, baby?"  
  
//Baby?// She had never, in all the years she had known Jack, been   
referred to by him as baby. He must be drunk, very *very* drunk. If she   
hadn't been so uptight, she might actually have laughed; it was a sweet   
thing to hear coming from Jack O'Neill's mouth.  
  
"Jack ... is Daniel there?" she asked shortly.  
  
"I'm disappointed Janet," he slurred. "That you don't want to talk to me.   
I am, after all, your number one patient."  
  
"Second, Jack," she responded, unable to prevent the small smile that   
formed on her face. "Daniel is still my number one patient."  
  
Jack groaned loudly, even that sound seemed slurred to her ears. How   
much had he had to drink? "I see," he moaned,"I see ... a bit of   
favoritism goin' on here do we Doc?"  
  
"Of course Jack. At least Daniel doesn't moan and groan every five   
minutes in my infirmary," she retorted.  
Jack burst out laughing. "No, he just moans and groans in a different way   
when he gets the Doctors *special* treatment."  
  
Janet felt herself blushing. Jack was definitely not a crude person,   
most of the time. She couldn't help laughing though. "Very funny Jack,"   
she said, trying to keep the humor out of her voice. "Now I'm going to   
ask you again, is Daniel there?"  
  
"He sure is. You wanna talk to him?"  
  
"That's why I phoned Jack," she bit out sarcastically.  
  
Jack grunted inarticulately, and Janet could hear him saying something to   
Daniel, his voice muffled. He must have had his hand over the receiver.   
There was a crash, forcing Janet to pull the phone away from her ear,   
then the sound of the phone being fumbled. He must have dropped the   
phone.  
"Janet?" Daniel's voice slurred over the line. "I'm sorry ... it slipped   
outta my hand."  
  
"That's ok hon," Janet replied, forcing the happy tone in her voice. "How   
much have you had to drink Daniel?"  
  
He was silent for a moment, she guessed he must be trying to count how   
much he'd had. "Ummm ... two bottles ... and a half," he added for   
posterity's sake  
  
This time Janet did laugh out loud. He was such a cheap drunk. She   
tried to stop the giggles but ended up snorting with the effort. It was   
one thing that always made her chortle, his complete inability to handle   
alcohol. It was cute.  
  
"What?" he asked her defensively. She could almost picture the offended   
look on his face, which made her giggle again.  
  
Janet became serious again, she couldn't help it, she had worked herself   
up too much tonight. "Is everything okay Daniel?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Okay?" he repeated sounding surprised. "Yeah, yeah, yeah ...   
everything's great baby."  
  
//Baby?// Inwardly she groaned. She was going to have to jab a needle   
extra hard into Jack's butt for teaching Daniel that particular term of   
endearment. "It's just ... you didn't call Daniel, I was worried that   
something might have happened to you."  
  
Daniel moaned. "Oh, I'm so sorry baby. It just ... it slipped my mind.   
I've been preoccupied, I needed to talk to Jack..." he trailed off,   
sounded embarrassed and unhappy.  
  
Why did he need to talk to Jack? Her curiosity was piqued now. What was   
going on? "Daniel, is everything okay?" she asked, hoping that she was   
just jumping to all the wrong conclusions. "With us?" She flinched at   
how needy she sounded. //Was I ever like this before?//  
  
Daniel made a strangled sound that sounded curiously to Janet like a low,   
pained, moan. "Oh, Janet," he breathed quietly, his voice suddenly   
sounding almost completely sober. "Everything is fine, perfect." He   
paused for a moment. "I love you so much Janet."  
  
Janet melted, she couldn't help it. Even knowing that he was drunk, the   
honesty in his voice was overwhelming, and imminently reassuring. "I love   
you too, Daniel," she breathed.  
  
"Come and pick me up Janet," he breathed, a hint of something in his   
voice.   
  
She couldn't say no, there was something in his voice that made it   
impossible. Besides, she really did want to see him. "I'll be there in   
twenty minutes," she breathed, hanging up the phone and quickly racing   
upstairs to get dressed.  
  
*******************  
  
Daniel groaned and rolled onto his back, torn from the arms of sleep by   
the violent churning of his belly. He could feel Janet moving next to   
him, the subtle movement on the bed enough to send a wave of nausea   
through him. He opened his eyes to try and dispel the spinning sensation   
he was experiencing.  
  
It only made things worse. The room twisted like it was being turned on   
its side, and then quickly flipped back in the opposite direction.   
Clapping a hand over his mouth he bolted out of the bed with a strangled   
groan and raced into the bathroom, followed by a sound that he was pretty   
certain was Janet stifling a giggle.  
  
He barely made it into the bathroom in time, pushing the door closed   
behind him with his foot and flicking the toilet seat up. Falling to his   
knees he emptied the contents of his stomach into the bowl, retching   
violently.  
  
After a few moments the door squeaked open and a hand gently began   
rubbing his back, soothing him. He settled back on his heels, wiping his   
mouth and trying to ignore the headache that was beginning to grip his   
skull. He was never going to drink again.  
  
He heard another stifled giggle behind him. "You're not even feeling   
remotely sorry for me are you?" he wined.  
  
This time she did laugh out loud, curt and brash. "No, I'm not. You know   
what happens to you when you drink Daniel. Besides, that's what you get   
when you keep me up most of the night worrying."  
  
Daniel groaned again, trying to ignore the pervading guilt he felt. He   
hadn't meant to make her worry about him. He had just been so   
preoccupied that he hadn't stopped to think. "I'm so sorry Janet."  
  
"I know," she responded, standing up behind him and helping him stand.   
With an arm wrapped securely around his waist, she guided him back into   
the bedroom. "And when you're feeling a little better I think we should   
both sit down and talk."  
  
Daniel glanced down at her; the sudden movements making his brain feel   
like it was being squeezed in a vice. "Yes we do," he murmured in reply,   
his voice filled with more meaning than she might have realized.  
  
She helped him into bed, tugging the blankets up to his chin. Leaning   
over she pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Don't move," she whispered,   
"I'll go and get you something to drink and something for the headache   
and nausea."  
  
"Hmm ... okay," Daniel murmured, his eyes sliding shut as he tried his   
hardest not to move as it only made him feel like he was going to be sick   
again. Yep, he was never going to drink again. At least he was   
fortunate enough to fall in love with a doctor.  
  
He listened as her footfalls left the bedroom, presumably to go down to   
the kitchen. He snuggled a little deeper under the covers feeling ice   
cold all of a sudden. He was getting nervous. He knew he would once he   
had made his decision, but he wasn't going to back down on it now. He   
was going to ask Janet to marry him.  
  
He wanted it to be perfect, but he had no idea how he was going to ask.   
He wasn't a particularly romantic person; it just didn't come naturally   
to him like it did to people like Jack, people who were so confident and   
sure of themselves. Other than on the site of an archeological dig or in   
his lab, he just wasn't that sort of person.  
  
Jack had offered some suggestions to him, but he had dismissed them all,   
they just weren't his style. He wasn't even sure what his style was.   
Then they had gotten sidetracked and the topic was forgotten. They had   
made a lot of progress though; Daniel had inadvertently helped Jack   
remember some events, most of which Daniel would have preferred him never   
to remember.  
  
Rolling onto his side, he pulled his knees up to his chest as his stomach   
cramped with another wave of nausea. He squeezed his eyes closed even   
harder, willing this all to stop. "This was not how I expected *this* day   
to go," he muttered groggily to himself.  
  
"How did you expect it to go then Daniel?" Janet's voice filtered across   
the room.  
"I expected you to squeal that you would, then we'd spend the rest of the   
afternoon celebrating and making love because Cassie wouldn't be home   
from school till after four," he murmured sleepily, not realizing until   
it was already out of his mouth what he had just said.  
  
//Damn it!// He berated himself, knowing that the residual alcohol in his   
system had fueled his tongue.  
  
"What would we be celebrating?" he felt Janet's weight perching on the   
bed next to him.   
  
He wracked his brain, trying to find some way to extricate himself from   
this situation with some dignity left intact. Nothing came to him, so he   
opted for the easy way out, pretend to fall asleep. At least then she   
might just assume he was talking nonsense.  
  
He forced his body to relax, to give the impression he was drifting off   
to sleep. "Celebrating?" he asked, his voice barely loud enough to hear,   
the kind of tone that a person half-asleep would use.  
  
Daniel could almost feel her willingness for him to continue, her   
curiosity naturally piqued. She was almost quivering with anticipation   
next to him. Did she have any inkling of what he was going on about? He   
hoped not, and he was not going to give anything else away now.  
  
After what felt like an eternity he heard her sigh softly and stand from   
the bed, her disappointment obvious. Daniel's heart sank, he hadn't   
intended on upsetting her. He opened his eyes, reaching out and taking   
her hand. "Janet," he whispered, pulling her back to the bed.  
  
She let herself be pulled back to the bed, her eyes wide with curiosity   
as she settled back onto the bed. "What's up Daniel?"  
  
He couldn't believe it was going to happen like this, but the alcohol   
still in his system had taken what was left of his commonsense and   
rationality and tossed it aside. Reaching passed her he pulled open the   
top drawer of his bedside table and fumbled around inside, his fingers   
finally brushing the small felt box he had tucked in the back of the   
drawer.  
  
He took a deep breath, the small box fitting perfectly in his palm so   
Janet couldn't see it and pulling it back under the sheets. He took her   
hand in his, met eyes that were looking down at him in concern. "I ... ah   
... I've been thinking a lot lately, about where I want my life to go,   
what I want to change about my life ... and what I don't want to change."  
  
"Daniel?" Janet asked uncertainly as he paused, fear crossing her face.  
  
He smiled nervously, his hands shaking. "After Sha're I didn't think I   
would ever find anyone ever again, I never thought I would fall in love   
again, but I did. Janet, I never want to let you go," he reached under   
the sheets, pulling out the box and opening it. Janet's eyes grew, her   
mouth opened with surprise. "Will you marry me, Janet?"  
  
Her eyes drifted from the ring, to Daniel's face and back again, her   
mouth opening and closing like she wanted to say something and couldn't   
articulate the words. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she   
nodded her yes.  
  
Daniel grinned, pulling the ring out of the box and sliding it onto her   
finger. The ring had belonged to his mother, one of the few items from   
his parents that he had ever received. It seemed fitting now that he   
gave it to the woman that was going to be his wife.  
  
He sat up, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to his   
chest. This was only the beginning, he knew, of the life they were going   
to share together.  
  
*******************  
  
Sam and Jack sat in the small exam room waiting for Janet to arrive for   
Sam's ultrasound. Sam smiled as she watched Jack pace the room, randomly   
[investigating] various pieces of equipment. Jack was not a patient   
waiter, and today was no different. He picked up an accessory from the   
ultrasound machine, seeming to find it rather interesting.  
  
"Jack, honey, should you be touching that?" Sam asked, amusement lacing   
her voice.  
  
Jack's head jerked up and he looked all the while like the guilty child   
with his hand caught in the cookie jar. Sam burst out laughing, causing   
Jack to do the same. "I'm sorry, Sam. I just hate waiting." He said   
coming over to her.  
  
"I know you do," Sam said trying not to laugh again.  
  
He sat down in the chair next to her. He put his arm around her and she   
leaned her head on his shoulder. They sat in silence, just listening to   
each other breathing softly. Jack was starting to shift anxiously again   
when Janet walked in.  
  
"Sorry I'm late guys. SG-10 just got back. They all fell down an   
embankment on the way back to the gate fleeing from Jaffa. I just   
finished setting and casting three broken legs, four broken arms, ten   
fractured ribs and a fractured [sternum?]." She explained in a rush of   
words.  
  
"And a partridge in a pear tree?" Jack asked throwing in his jab with a   
smile.  
  
"Yeah something like that," Janet chuckled. "Needless to say, they're   
going to have a lot of fun in the coming weeks."  
  
Janet moved over to set up her equipment in a flurry of motion. "Sam if I   
could just have you change into this gown and hop up onto the bed, we can   
get started."  
  
Sam quickly shed her clothes and donned the lovely infirmary gown behind   
the screen provided. Jack helped her onto the examination bed, as it was   
getting more difficult for her to do such things of late. Once Sam was   
settled back against the bed, Janet covered her lower torso with a sheet   
and lifted her gown above her growing stomach.  
  
Janet applied a thin layer of lubricating gel to Sam's stomach, and   
pressed the transducer against her skin, moving it along the surface.  
  
"Since you're far enough along now, you're able to have a 3-D ultrasound.   
In fact you are the first person to get to use this," Janet grinned. "We   
get all the great toys in the Air Force."  
  
"Sweet!" Jack commented and he and Sam both smiled.  
  
Janet angled the monitor so they could see it better from their position.   
Suddenly the sensor detected a form and placed it on the screen. A few   
seconds passed and it was soon replaced by a face.   
  
"Oh wow!" Jack breathed through a suddenly constricted throat.  
  
"Oh Jack look! That's our baby." Sam said through her tears.  
  
Jack leaned over and placed a loving kiss on her lips, telling her   
without words how much he loved her.  
  
"Do you want to know what it is?" Janet questioned the couple. Jack met   
Sam's eyes and they turned to Janet, smiling their answer.  
  
"You're going to have...a little girl." Janet grinned at the look on   
Jack's face.  
  
"A girl! Sam were gonna have a girl." He said in amazement. Sam couldn't   
speak around the tears of happiness that had formed.  
  
The baby's face turned away from them, bobbing on the screen. More   
indiscernible images appeared, moving and bouncing across the screen.  
  
"What's that?" Jack asked, his attention fully focused on the screen.  
  
"It may be just a reflection. Let me change angles here," Janet explained   
as she moved the device to another section of Sam's stomach.  
  
"I may have been wrong guys," Janet looked closer at the screen.  
  
"What? Is it a boy instead," Jack asked, though not in disappointment.   
He would be happy with either a boy or a girl, son or daughter, his baby   
would be perfect either way.  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Janet? What's wrong," Sam asked with a degree of panic lacing her voice.  
  
As if the baby could sense the tension, it flip-flopped on the screen.   
Sam's eyes flew from the screen to her stomach and back again.  
  
"Nothing's wrong, per say," Janet said, a ghost of a smile playing across   
her lips.  
  
"Well, is it a boy or a girl?" Jack asked as he took Sam's hand   
reassuringly in his.  
  
"Umm...well. It could be both."  
  
"Huh? Janet what are you talking about?" Jack sat up tensely in his   
chair.  
Janet's finger pointed to a spot on the screen. "You see that? That's a   
heartbeat." She looked at Sam and Jack for confirmation that they were   
following along. She turned back to the monitor, moving her finger to   
another point on the screen.  
  
"And you see that? That's a second heartbeat." She faced Jack and Sam   
again, as she waited for realization to dawn on them.  
  
"You mean..." Sam stopped short.  
  
"We're gonna have..." Jack drifted off.  
  
"Twins?!" Sam and Jack looked at each other, echoing the other.  
  
"That would be an affirmative," Janet answered them, smiling broadly at   
the expressions on their faces.  
  
Jack looked over at Sam, stunned beyond belief. The look on her face   
mirrored his own.   
  
"Twins?! As in ... that means ... more than one! Two! We're gonna have   
... twins." Jack couldn't form a coherent sentence for the life of him.   
All Sam could do was smile a silly grin through the tears rolling down   
her face. Jack leaned over Sam and embraced her, and then kissed her   
breathless.  
  
A knock sounded at the door. The interruption didn't even faze the happy   
couple by the look of the dazed expressions still lingering on their   
faces. Janet smiled as she opened the door. Her smile increased as she   
saw who stood behind it. Daniel smiled back at her, silently questioning   
her with his eyes, wanting to know what was happening. She opened the   
door wider to allow him to enter. However, she didn't say a word to him,   
only smiled; sure he would find out soon enough the unexpected, but good   
news. Daniel just glanced at her strangely, smiling in return.   
  
"Sam, Jack. So how's it going? Ultrasound went well I assume?" He said   
greeting the soon-to-be parents.  
  
Jack swung his head around to face Daniel, smiling from ear to ear.   
"Danny-Boy!" Jack cleared his chair and wrapped his arms around Daniel in   
what had to be the biggest bear hug anyone had ever received from Jack   
O'Neill.   
  
Daniel stood there, his arms sticking out like a scarecrow, his eyes   
darting between Janet, Sam and Jack. "It's good to see you, too, Jack.   
Umm ... Jack," He said through clenched teeth, "you're breaking my ribs   
here."  
  
Jack released Daniel quickly, apologizing and having the grace to look   
mildly embarrassed. Daniel just shrugged it off with a smile as he   
stepped over to Janet and put his arm around her.   
  
"So I'll take that as a "yes" that everything is going well," he said   
with a light chuckle.   
  
"Better than well," Jack said with one of the hugest grins that Daniel   
had ever seen. "You're going to be an uncle..."  
  
"Well I knew that Jack," Daniel commented as Jack turned back to Sam. He   
grasped her hand and turned back to Daniel, smile still in place.  
  
"You're going to be an uncle ... twice over."  
  
Daniel stood there, a blank expression on his face as he processed the   
new information. Everyone could nearly hear the wheels turning in his   
head, when Daniel's eyes bulged and he looked and he looked down at Janet   
then towards Jack and Sam. His mouth was opening and closing but nothing   
was coming out.   
  
"You mean ... two ... you're gonna have ... two ... babies ... twins?!"   
Daniel stuttered, his face turning a nice shade of red, or at least Janet   
thought so. She loved when that happened. He looked so adorable when he   
tried to comprehend the simplest of information. Jack only nodded happily   
in response before turning back to his beaming and beautifully pregnant   
fiancé.  
  
Daniel continued to stand there in what appeared to be shock. Janet   
smirked as she elbowed him softly in the ribs. She looked up at him in   
mock consternation. "By your reaction you'd think you were having the   
babies, not Sam and Jack."  
  
Daniel smiled tenderly before leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on   
her lips. He pulled back slightly, just enough to look into her fluid   
brown eyes and whispered. "I've been thinking ... would that be such a   
bad thing?"  
  
Janet's brow creased momentarily before she grasped the meaning of his   
words. Her lips curved upward as she pulled his head down for another,   
longer, life-changing kiss.  
  
*******************  
  
Sam sat in front of the roaring fire flipping through the books that they   
had picked up on the way home. After Jack had recovered from his fleeting   
lapse of shock, he had insisted that they go by the local bookstore and   
buy every single book on babies, twins, and pregnancy in general. Though   
they didn't clean out the entire store, they came close. In fact, half of   
Jack's truck bed was packed with bags and boxes of books. The clerk at   
the store had to rummage through the stockroom for boxes because they ran   
out of bags big enough. The thought made Sam laugh. She had never seen   
Jack so excited as he was that day. In her heart, she knew that their   
babies were healing him. She knew then and there that Jack was going to   
be all right.  
  
He may never forget what happened to him when he was imprisoned, but he   
wasn't going to let it keep him down.   
  
Sam was awakened out of her reverie when Jack sat down beside her on the   
floor. He handed her a mug of hot chocolate, earning him a smile and a   
kiss.   
  
"Wow! If I knew that's what hot chocolate got me, I'd give it to ya more   
often." Jack said grinning, and earning him a playful slap to the arm.   
  
"Hey now!" Jack laughed nonchalantly.  
  
"We have work to do mister," Sam said eyeing him with a mock glare.   
"After spending all that money on books, we shouldn't waste them, now   
should we."  
  
"No I guess not." He said as he leaned over her to pull a stack of books   
to him. He looked at the top book and read the title out loud. "'What To   
Expect When You're Expecting.' Sam I think this one is more for you." He   
put the book on the stack she had accumulated then glanced down at the   
next book. Jack smiled. "Now this is more my style. 'Daddy's Little   
Fishing Buddy'." Jack looked over at Sam, having achieved making her   
smile at him. His one major goal in life, keeping his soon-to-be wife   
happy.   
  
"Jack, you're incorrigible you know."  
  
"I know." He grinned.   
  
Sam discarded the book she had been looking at and went on to another. A   
book of baby names. She had seen three of those books in the many stacks   
they had started all over the floor. She began flipping through it   
randomly when an idea struck her. She smiled hoping Jack would go along   
with her.   
  
"Jack, honey, could you go get a couple of tablets of paper and some   
pens." She said, still looking at the book.   
  
Jack glanced over at her briefly before looking back at his own book,   
clearly caught up in it. "Sure, sweetie, what for?"  
  
"Just an idea. I'll tell you when you come back." Sam said keeping her   
voice neutral.   
  
Jack got to his feet and stretched his legs and tried to get the kinks   
out of his back, then made his way over to the desk in the corner. He   
rifled through the drawers until he found what Sam was wanting. He walked   
back over to her, handing her the tablets and pens as he sat back down.  
  
"So what's this all about, sweetheart." Jack asked curiously.   
  
Sam looked over at Jack a sweet smile lighting her face. "I was thinking   
... since we just found out we're going to have not one, but two babies,   
we should probably start thinking about names."  
  
Jack took one of the books and tablets from her and grinned. "So do I get   
to name our boy?"  
  
Sam smiled in turn, but shook her head. "Actually I was thinking that we   
could both write down girls and boys names, and then we can compare lists   
to see which ones we like the best."  
  
"Hmm ... okay." Jack agreed opening his book. He stuck the pen between   
his teeth chewing on the end as he thought.   
  
Sam grinned; glad Jack wanted to be involved in this. She ducked her head   
and opened her book. She scanned names at random, sometimes unsure   
whether or not they were really names at all. She sneaked a peak at   
Jack's paper, but when he noticed her looking he smiled and covered his   
paper with his hand. She smirked and went back to writing names down.  
Jack eventually moved to the sofa claiming his knees were hurting. He   
still continued to work on his list. Sam was just about finished. As soon   
as she wrote down the last name she got up and rushed to the bathroom.   
She now understood why her bladder could hold less and less, what with   
two babies putting pressure against it.   
  
Sam walked back into the living room fully relieved, and watched Jack, as   
he was still completely involved with his project. She sat down in his   
favorite chair and just watched him. The man she loved. The father of her   
baby ... babies. She was going to have to get used to that. As Jack had   
put it ... more than one. Sam smiled.   
  
"Are you about done, hon?" She asked Jack.  
  
He glanced up briefly and nodded. He continued on for a few more minutes,   
when he closed his book and looked at her smiling, pleased with himself.   
  
Sam rose and made her way to sit next to Jack on the sofa. He put his arm   
around her and presented his list to her. She was amazed; he had found   
more names than she had. In fact, he had names from every letter of the   
alphabet. She had really underestimated him. Then she read off his   
choices aloud, making comments on some of them.  
  
"Alison ... Angel, oh I like that one. Aroha?! Jack what the heck is   
Aroha." She gave him a look of utter puzzlement.   
  
Jack had a wounded look on his face, but she could she the sparkle in his   
eyes. "It means 'love' in New Zealand. I thought it was cute ... kinda."  
  
"Oh, okay ...," Sam bowed her head again, and continued reading. "Bethany   
... Brittany ... Calista ... Calista?! As in Calista Flockhart!? Jack, no   
way!" She laughed at the look on his face.   
  
"Well, I uh ... didn't think of that." He mumbled.  
  
Sam chuckled again. "Catrina ... that's cute. Chloe is pretty. Colleen   
... Dakota ...? Dakota ... hmm that doesn't sound too bad. Destiny..."   
Sam looked up into Jack's eyes and he smiled so sweetly.  
  
"I think it's a pretty name ... Destiny ... Destiny O'Neill?" Jack said   
trying it out on his tongue.   
  
Sam merely smiled back at him, and kept on reading, wanting to know all   
his choices. "Ellie ... Erin ... Esmeralda ... Jack, have you been   
watching Disney movies with Teal'c again?"  
  
"Uh ... no." He answered not knowing what she was talking about.   
  
Her laughter filled the air and she went on. "Farrah ... Felicity ...   
Jack you really do watch too much TV you know."  
  
"Huh ... oh ... uh ... sorry." Jack blushed.  
  
"Gabrielle ... Gianna ... that's interesting. Gracie ... oh Jack I love   
that name." Sam smiled up at Jack. He didn't respond, except with a smile   
of his own.   
  
"Holly ... Hope ... that's a beautiful name too. Isabelle ... Jade   
...Jewel..." Sam did a perfect imitation of Teal'c on the last one.   
  
"What?!" Jack defended himself. "She's got a great voice..."  
  
Sam continued to look at him, she was having too much fun with this.   
  
"What?!!" Jack said again.   
  
Sam laughed and returned to the list.  
  
"Kailey ... Kendra ... those are nice. Keziah ... okay I don't even wanna   
go there. Laney ... Laurie ... Lili ... oh how pretty! Mackenzie ...   
that's a good one. Jack these are really good." She glanced up at Jack.  
  
"Keep reading, sweetheart. They get better."  
  
Sam leaned over and kissed Jack lovingly on the lips. She pulled away   
before he could do much, because she knew if she didn't they wouldn't get   
anything done.   
  
"Malorie ... Meghan ... Natalie ... Nicholette ... wow that's a mouthful.   
Olivia ... Paige ... Quinn ... how nice. Raine ... Regan....oh I like   
those. Sabrina ... Sidney... Sierra ... Tabitha. Jack these are just   
wonderful. Trinity ... Valerie ... Whitney ... Zoe."  
  
Sam just sat there in amazement. She couldn't believe how many Jack came   
up with. So many more than she did. And that was just the girls.  
  
"Sam ... sweetie. You okay?" Jack asked, a little worried.   
  
"Yeah I'm fine." At Jack's look she continued. "Really Jack I am."  
  
"Okay. If you insist. Hey do I get to read your list?" Jack asked   
anxiously.   
  
Sam handed hers to Jack, blushing slightly. "Okay, but it's not nearly as   
good as yours."  
  
"Oh Sammy I'm sure it is better." Jack told her reassuringly.  
  
Jack cleared his throat and flicked the paper, showing off, and making   
her giggle. "All right now. Alexandra ... Avery ... Bailey ...Brianna ...   
Caitlin ... Charity ... Dawn ... Elizabeth ... Emma ... Evie ... Gracie.   
Sweet! I like that one ... Hunter ... Jamie ... Josie ... Kelsey ...   
Lacey ... Lexie ... Lynsey ... Maisie ... Melissa ... Rachel ... that's a   
cool one. Reanna ... Sarina ... Skye ... Taylor." Jack looked at Sam. She   
was biting her lip, obviously worried about what he would think about her   
choices.   
  
"Sam! These are great. I love them all." Jack assured her with a kiss.  
  
"Do you really think so? Now we just have to decide on one." Sam worried   
her lip again.   
  
Jack chuckled. "You're right, but we really shouldn't rush these things.   
We have to find just the right one. How about we take a look at the boys'   
names." Jack suggested.   
  
"Okay. Here's mine." Sam handed the list of the boys' names she had   
comprised.  
  
Jack attentively began reading them off as before. "Aaron ... Blake ...   
Braden ... Caleb ... Dalton ... Evan ... Grant ... Gregory ... Ian ...   
Jacob..." A slight smile lit Jack's face, but he quickly hid it, and read   
on. "Kyle ... Lance ... Matthew ... Nathan ... Paul ... Riley ... Stuart   
... Trent." Jack finished and looked over at Sam. She was hesitant to   
look at him, shy even. He didn't know why. She picked some great names.   
But only one would do.  
  
"Here. Look at mine." He held out his paper to her. She took it from her.   
He knew the moment her eyes absorbed his choice, because her face lit up   
so beautifully. He would remember her look from that moment on. Sam threw   
her arms around his neck, hugging him close. She was laughing and crying   
at the same time. Jack joined in with her happiness, not able to contain   
his own laughter from erupting.   
  
"So I take it you like what I chose?" Jack pulled back and looked at   
Sam's face. She was still smiling brightly.  
  
"Jack! You couldn't have chosen anything better. Oh Jack!" Sam buried her   
face against his neck when he pulled her in for another hug.   
  
"So Jacob it is then."  
  
*******************  
  
Janet lay on her side in bed next to Daniel. She was resting her head on   
his chest and he was casually running his fingers up and down her back.   
He was quickly on his way to distracting her again, she thought with a   
smile. She'd been thinking about some things tonight, and one in   
particular she wanted to run by him. She was sure he would go along with   
it, especially considering the developments of the evening.   
  
"Daniel?" She asked hesitantly.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"I've got an idea."  
  
"What is it, sweetheart?" Daniel queried looking down at her.   
  
"What would you think of throwing a baby shower for Sam and Jack?"  
  
"I think that's a wonderful idea." Daniel commented, as he kissed her.  
  
"We could have it here and invite everyone from the SGC. Do you think we   
should wait until after Christmas to have it?" She asked, though she went   
on quickly. "Probably so since Christmas is in two weeks. Maybe mid-  
January? That should give people time enough to recover from the   
Christmas season."  
  
Daniel smiled at her exuberance. He'd never seen Janet so excited before.   
He could only imagine what she would be like when they had a baby of   
their own.   
  
"Oh Daniel, we have so much to organize and plan. I want this to be the   
best baby shower for Sam and Jack."  
  
Daniel chuckled. "I know you do. But can it wait until morning, Jan? I'm   
pretty tired. You sure know how to wear a guy out," He teased.   
  
"Well if you're so tired I can leave you here to get your beauty sleep,   
while I go sleep on the sofa, then." She said poking him in the ribs,   
giving him a taste of his own medicine.  
  
"Don't you dare," He growled in her ear sensuously as he pulled her   
closer.   
  
He began kissing his way along her neck and she was responding in kind,   
when they heard a crash down the hall. They both pulled apart   
simultaneously.   
  
"What was that?" Janet asked in a now whisper.   
  
"I don't know," Daniel whispered back.  
  
They were both frozen in place staring at the other, their ears straining   
to hear any other noises. Another crash sounded, this time louder. Daniel   
jumped out of bed quickly pulling on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.   
Janet sat in bed clutching the sheet around her body. Her face was a   
reflection of shock and something else ... fear maybe?   
  
Janet was shaken out of her stupor long enough to react. She leaned down   
over the edge of the bed and came back up clutching a baseball bat.   
Daniel looked at her, surprise written on his face.  
  
"I'll explain to you later." Janet said abruptly.  
  
Daniel grabbed the bat out of her hand and rushed to the door and eased   
it open willing it not to squeak. When he got it open, he poked his head   
around the doorjamb, looking both ways for plausible danger. Seeing no   
obvious signs, he edged out of the room slinking along the wall, bat held   
tightly in both hands. He heard something hitting glass, but not a   
breaking sound. And it was coming from Cassie's room. His heartbeat   
increased. He hoped against hope that someone hadn't broken into Cassie's   
room, but he couldn't squelch thinking the worst.  
  
He now stood in front of her closed door. His hand reached out for the   
knob of its own accord, like he was trapped in a dream. A bad dream. He   
eased the door open, not making a sound. He stepped into the still   
darkened room. He raised the bat above his head with one hand, and went   
for the light switch with his other.   
  
And he yelled.  
  
*******************  
  
Janet was still sitting up in bed, as though frozen. Sure she was an   
officer in the USAF, and a doctor ... but she could still be scared out   
of her mind. The noises had been coming from the vicinity of her   
daughter's room. That in itself was frightening, but so was the fact that   
she couldn't make herself move. Daniel had been gone for what seemed like   
forever, even though she knew it was merely seconds. Not remembering when   
or how, she found herself standing in her doorway, straining to hear   
anything, and debating whether to follow after Daniel.  
  
That's when she heard it.   
  
A masculine yell ... and a feminine scream.  
  
Janet clutched the sheet tighter around her as she raced out of her room   
and down the hall to her daughter's room. She came to a skidding halt in   
the doorway, scared witless. And then she started laughing. Hysterically.  
  
Daniel was standing barely inside the room, holding the bat above his   
head in a somewhat threatening manner. Cassie was hanging halfway in her   
room, her feet hanging outside the window. They both had shocked   
expressions pasted on their faces, reflecting that they'd each found   
something they hadn't expected.  
  
"Janet you are not helping the situation." Daniel commented.   
  
His statement lacked the sobering effect he had expected; it only   
resulted in making her laugh harder. "I'm ... sor...sorry....Daniel...I   
... can't help ... it.  
  
Daniel glanced at her behind him, his expression bland, and his face pale   
and drawn. Cassie still had not moved from her current position.  
  
Janet realized at some point in her maniacal outburst, that she needed to   
stop and reassess the situation. She stopped laughing albeit not   
gracefully.  
  
However, it seems that she didn't stop soon enough, as Daniel and Cassie   
had already achieved arguing with the other.  
  
"What on Earth do you think you were doing? It's 3:00 in the morning, for   
crying out loud." Daniel raised his voice. It seems that Jack had rubbed   
off on more than just a few people. Janet would have laughed, if not for   
the seriousness of the situation.   
  
"I went out." Cassie had climbed entirely through the window by this   
point.  
  
"Not in the get-up I hope!" Daniel exclaimed, his eyes nearly popping out   
of his head. And he didn't even have his glasses on.   
  
"What's wrong with it?" Cassie looked down at herself. She was clad in   
skin-tight leather pants, with calf-high boots over them, and a flashy   
red halter-top, which showed a bit more than Daniel cared to see.  
  
"What's wrong with it? What's WRONG with it!? You're dressed like a   
hooker, is what's wrong with it." That little vein in the side of his   
neck was nearly popping, his nostrils flaring. Janet had never seen   
Daniel this angry ... or was it upset? "Where did you go anyway to even   
dress this absurdly?"  
  
"I like it, thank you very much, and so does Mick." Realizing she'd said   
too much, Cassie clamed up. But not before she got her jab in. "What do   
you care? You're not my father."  
  
Uh oh! Janet thought.   
  
Daniel's face went a shade of red darker. "By God, if I'm gonna marry   
your mother, I will be."  
Daniel shocked everyone with his declaration, himself included. They had   
decided to tell Cassie the next morning ... well it was morning now ...   
that was beside the point now though. Janet just didn't picture it to go   
this way. She mentally slapped her head and emitted a 'doh' borrowed from   
Jack O'Neill's vocabulary.  
  
"What?" Cassie couldn't believe what she just heard. She had withdrawn   
several weeks ago, when she saw what was happening to her mom. Sure she'd   
displayed all the signs of happiness, but she was told it couldn't last   
forever. Many of her friends' parents were in similar relationships, some   
that had gone sour. She didn't want to stand by and watch her mom be   
hurt. She had heard too much of nasty breakups. Sure Daniel was great,   
and they both loved him, but could their happiness last forever. She'd   
already lost one set of parents to death. She didn't want to lose her   
surrogate mother to heartbreak.  
  
Daniel stood there, suddenly finding the bat very intriguing. He knew his   
mouth had run away with itself ... again. Luckily for him, Janet stepped   
in at that point.   
  
"You heard Daniel. We're getting married." She looped her arm around his   
waist and he held her closer to his side. He still didn't raise his eyes,   
embarrassment setting in.  
  
Cassie crossed her arms over her chest, her lips pinched into a tight   
line. She knew she should be happy for them ... but she couldn't dispel a   
sense of uneasiness. Was Daniel good enough for her mother, or would he   
hurt her like her first husband had? Though now that Cassie got to   
thinking back ... she had never seen her mother so happy, or at peace. In   
fact, though she didn't want to admit it, Cassie had felt safe since   
Daniel moved in with them. She missed her biological parents so much, and   
being told she was going to have that stability and love again, was ...   
well ... great. She tried to remain impassive, but failed as a smile   
creased her features. She rushed into her mom's arms giving her unspoken   
blessing.  
  
Daniel was hesitant to hug Cassie at first, after what had happened   
shortly before. But his mind was put at ease when she went into his arms,   
her head against his chest. He felt a sudden dampness on his shirt and   
looked down. She had tears coursing down her cheeks.   
  
"I'm sorry. I promise I won't do it again." Cassie hiccupped around a   
sob.   
  
Daniel brought his hand up to her hair, running his hand over it   
comfortingly. He felt Janet put her arms around both of them. Eventually   
Cassie's sobs subsided enough for her to speak. "So does this mean I get   
to call you Dad now?" Ducking her head shyly.   
  
"Uh ... " Daniel, for once in his life, was at a loss for a reply. But   
not for long. "Yeah. I'd like that."   
  
*******************  
  
~One month later~  
  
Sam stood before the mirror just looking at herself. It was getting to   
where she thought she wouldn't be able to fit into anything soon. If it   
wasn't for the new outfits that Jack had gotten her for Christmas, she   
wouldn't have much. She should really go shopping again, she thought   
smiling.   
  
The dark burgundy button-up top looked good with her skin tone. She   
really hated how the black stretch pants looked on her, though that was   
about the only pants she could wear these days. She heard the door open   
and turned to see Jack walk in. She looked in the mirror once more   
frowning. Jack noticed and came to stand behind her, wrapping his arms   
around her.  
  
"What's wrong, baby?"  
  
Sam's frown got deeper. "I look horrible. Nothing fits, and I hate these   
pants." Luckily enough for Jack, she wasn't on the verge of tears this   
time. The incident a day before the base Christmas party instigated him   
into buying Sam a half a wardrobe, so she would have something that would   
fit. She wasn't fat by any means; in fact Jack loved the way she had   
filled out, making her body curvier in all the right places.   
  
"Oh I dunno. Those pants look real sexy on ya." He pinched her rear   
jokingly getting a small squeal out of her. "In fact, I may not want to   
let the guys see ya in them, they might drool all over the floor. And you   
know how I hate cleaning up messes."  
  
"Jack!" Sam reprimanded with a broad grin. He knew he could make her   
smile. He always could.   
  
"Hey I can't help it if my fiancé is hot!"  
  
"Hot and sexy is definitely NOT what I am feeling right now." She said   
turning her head, though still smiling.   
  
"Well I say you are so you are, okay sweetheart?" Jack lowered his head   
for a kiss. Sam moaned and turned in his arms. It had been awkward of   
late, to get intimate, because of Sam's growing form. But Jack didn't let   
that stop him. If anything it made him want her more.  
  
Grudgingly though, Jack brought the kiss to and end. He knew that if they   
didn't leave then, they never would. And they would have a lot of people   
to explain to later.   
  
"Sweetheart, we need to go. Janet will jab me extra hard with a needle   
next mission if I don't get us there on time." Jack said, as he saw the   
passion slowly drain from Sam's eyes. But a spark remained, telling him   
he would pay later for stopping abruptly. Not that he minded any. Uh uh,   
no way. He smiled deviously  
  
"Jack..." Sam warned, knowing the look in his eyes.   
  
"What ... I didn't say anything." Jack defended himself.   
  
"You didn't have to say anything." Sam smiled in turn.  
  
Jack led her downstairs and bundled her into her coat. If anything   
January was more frigid than December had been. Sam had lucked out and   
not been sick all winter, aside from morning sickness, that is. The drive   
to Janet and Daniel's house was uneventful, and was made in a comfortable   
silence. Sam managed not to fall asleep this time, as she had started   
doing on any car trip, however short they may be.  
  
They pulled into the driveway, seeing it was close to filling up already   
as was the sides of the street. Jack helped Sam out of his truck. They   
trudged up to the front porch and knocked. They heard laughter and   
talking behind the door, before it was opened. Daniel welcomed them and   
shuffled them into the house, taking their coats.   
  
Sam looked around amazed at the wonderful decorations. Janet really did   
outdo herself. Janet walked out of the family room to welcome Sam. Sam   
was looking around with amazement at the wonderful decorations. The look   
on Sam's face was enough thanks for Janet. They hugged then Janet went   
into the kitchen to retrieve beverages for the guests of honor.   
  
Daniel led Jack and Sam into the family room and a chorus of hellos and   
well wishes were sent their way. Sam thankfully sat down on the sofa,   
after Major Louis Ferretti offered her his seat. He moved to the floor   
not far from her and carried on a conversation with her, while Jack was   
engaged in conversation with General Hammond on the other side.  
  
"Major, I owe you and the Colonel big time." Sam looked at him surprised.   
  
"Why's that Ferretti?" Sam asked.  
  
"Well if it wasn't for your resignation, Major, I wouldn't have got my   
transfer back to Cheyenne Mountain."  
  
"Oh. Well glad I could help." Sam laughed in return. "And you can forgo   
the 'Major', it's just Doctor now. Or Sam."  
  
"Then it's Louis." Ferretti commented.   
  
"Sure thing, Louis."  
  
Janet came in with their drinks then. As it was a baby shower, and the   
mother-to-be couldn't enjoy any alcoholic beverages, only lemonade and   
coffee were being served.  
  
"So are you ready to get this show on the road?" Janet whispered to Sam.   
Sam smiled her answer.   
  
"All right everyone. It's time to shower the new mommy and daddy-to-be   
with gifts." Janet proclaimed enthusiastically.   
  
A hush fell over the room as all attention fell on Sam and Jack. Soon   
enough an excited buzz filled the room as the anticipation grew. The sofa   
was cleared, leaving the couple sitting there to await their gifts.  
  
Cassie being the youngest person in attendance requested the important   
job of presenting the gifts to the new parents. Everyone gathered around   
the room, whether it be sitting or standing, to gain a better view of the   
couple.   
  
The first gift was placed on Sam's lap. Sam read the card aloud. "Jack   
and Sam. Congrats on the babies. Good to know the world will be safe with   
little astrophysicists with bad senses of humor running around.   
Ferretti." Laughter rang around the room. "Well I know who the   
astrophysicist is, so I guess that leaves the 'bad sense of humor' to   
you, honey." Sam directed her comment jokingly to Jack, and more laughter   
erupted.  
  
She tore into the shiny pink and blue package ... and a huge smile lit   
her face. She held up the items. Two, tiny, matching camouflage onesies.   
Laughter went up from the women in the room; the men let out grunts of   
approval, and the Marines, of course, their common 'Oorahs'.   
  
"Training them awful young, aren't ya Colonel?" Someone in the back of   
the room asked.   
  
"Heck yeah! Never too young to train 'em." Jack called back, smiling.   
  
"Sweetie, can we at least wait till they're out of diapers?" Sam threw at   
him good-naturedly.  
  
Sam sent her thank-you's towards Ferretti as she laid his gift aside.   
Cassie handed more her way. Sam gave a couple to Jack to open, "oohing"   
and "ahhing" over them as he did so.   
  
The next one, from General Hammond, was a thin, rectangular box covered   
in silver wrapping with iridescent bows. Careful to not rip the paper,   
Sam eased the box out of the wrapping. When she'd succeeded she lifted   
the top off the box and parted the tissue paper. She gasped in   
wonderment.  
  
"Oh, Sir! These are beautiful." She breathed. She lifted the contents out   
of the box still inspecting them. Attached to cards, were Wish and   
Remembrance bracelets for the baby's mother. They were both made of   
Sterling Silver, but one bracelet had blue crystal beads and the other   
had pink. Sam was moved to tears as she thanked the General for his   
thoughtful gifts.  
  
The next gift was from Janet and Daniel. Daniel was nearly on the edge of   
his seat; Janet had to practically hold him back as both Sam and Jack   
opened their gift. As soon as the items were revealed, Daniel started   
rattling off energetically what was enclosed in the neatly boxed newborn   
sets.   
  
"See one's blue and one's pink. And they both have receiving blankets ...   
and ... and ... burp pads and flannel bibs. And wash cloths." Daniel   
stuttered through his description. "Oh and no-scratch mittens." He said   
with eyes wide open, as though the concept was brilliant.  
  
Barely able to contain her excitement, Cassie handed her gifts, a   
tallish, square package to Sam and a flat, rectangle box to Jack. Not   
able to keep the smiles off their faces, they tore off the paper after   
Cassie gave them the permission to 'rip into them'. She was practically   
bouncing up and down in anticipation. They got the paper off and smiled   
as they saw what was pictured on the boxes.  
  
"Open them up and I'll show ya how they work." Cassie said as she knelt   
down in front of them.   
  
Sam opened her box and pulled out a weighty brown teddy bear. Cassie   
spoke up again. "It's called a Mommy Bear. If you turn the dial on its   
back it makes noises that sound like the womb. It's supposed to soothe   
babies, since it sounds like what it was like when they were inside their   
mom."  
  
"Cassie this the best gift that the babies will have. Thank you so much   
sweetie." Sam said as she bestowed a hug on Cassie. The crowd in the room   
'aww'd at the display.   
  
In the meantime Jack had taken his gift out of the box and was fiddling   
with it. "Sweet!"   
  
"Ain't it cool?" Cassie asked as she moved over in front of him. She   
reached out and turned the knob on the back of the toy. A soft, soothing   
water sound was emitted.   
  
"Whatcha got there, Colonel?" Siler asked from the back of the room.  
  
"It's uh..." Jack looked down at the box so he could get the name right.   
"It's the Peaceful Planet Aquarium. And watch yourself Siler. Keep your   
tools *away* from it ... I see that spark in your eyes."  
  
The room was running rampant with laughter, having Jack O'Neill with tons   
of attention paid him. More gifts soon followed. The entire SGC gave Sam   
and Jack a double sport stroller. They all knew how Sam liked to run and   
with two babies to keep up with, what better way to exercise than with   
them.  
  
Daniel stood up then and nodded towards Teal'c. "And last but certainly   
not least... We had to save the biggest for last since we could barely   
fit it in the house."   
  
Teal'c, or who they thought was Teal'c, for he was hidden by two VERY   
large fuzzy teddy bears. In fact they were nearly as tall as Teal'c   
himself, which was saying a lot, because he usually towered over   
everyone.   
  
"Teal'c, buddy, you shouldn't have." Jack said barely containing his   
laughter.  
  
Teal'c's head appeared in between the two bears, which made for quite a   
humorous picture. Puzzlement lit his face as he lifted his brow. "I had   
been informed that stuffed bears were an appropriate gift for infants. Is   
it not customary to give a gift for each child?"  
  
No one in the room dared to laugh at Teal'c as they knew that if they   
were ever in the ring with him, they would get their butts royally   
whooped.   
  
"They are quite ... big ... aren't they?" Jack asked looking at Sam with   
all the seriousness his tone could muster. Sam had a slight grin on her   
face and her eyes were shining.  
  
"Thanks Teal'c. They're great. It's the perfect gift for the babies." Sam   
said as she sent a genuine smile his way.   
  
"Well everyone, I guess that's it. You are all welcome to stay and visit.   
We would all like to thank you for showing up ... and I am sure Sam and   
Jack are grateful for you coming ..."  
  
Jack stood up then. "Actually there is one more gift. Two to be precise."  
  
Sam glanced up at Jack, confused. Daniel handed him two flat packages,   
and Jack sat on the edge of the sofa facing Sam. "Sweetheart, I've been   
trying to think of the best gift to give our babies. It took me quite   
awhile to decide on this. But I think it is the best choice. I hope you   
like it." Jack took her hands and turned her palms facing upward and   
placed the packages in her hands.  
  
She looked at him uncomprehendingly. She unwrapped the packages, pulling   
a picture frame out of each of them. She lifted the first one up and read   
it. Her eyes got blurry as she tried to focus on the words she was   
reading. Not trusting what she just read she lifted the second one. When   
she had finished reading she looked at Jack with tears in her eyes. "Oh   
Jack ... I ... I ..."  
  
"Is that a good 'I' or a bad 'I'?" Jack smiled at her gauging her   
reaction.   
  
"Good. Very good."  
  
"Well are you going to keep us in suspense forever?" Janet asked   
anxiously.   
  
Sam gave a little giggle as she pulled back from Jack wiping her eyes.   
She cleared the lump in her throat and began to read from the frames she   
held. "Star Registry. This certificate states that a star was officially   
registered in the Universal Star Catalog's database designated by the   
world renowned Smithsonian Astrophysical Institute in honor of Jacob   
Daniel O'Neill."   
  
"Ohh"s went up around the room, and a hush soon covered the room. "What   
does the second one say?" Janet asked in a near whisper.  
  
"This certificate states that a star was officially registered in the   
Universal Star Catalog's database designated by the world renowned   
Smithsonian Astrophysical Institute in honor of Rachel Mackenzie   
O'Neill."   
  
"Ahh"s echoed in the air as finally the names of Sam and Jack's babies   
were revealed.   
  
*******************  
  
Sam stood from her stool and tried to stretch her back out. It seemed   
like it constantly ached at the moment, the weight of two babies causing   
havoc with her spine. She frowned, she missed Jack deeply, he normally   
seemed to sense when she was uncomfortable and turned up to rub her back   
just as she needed it. But he was offworld now, on some sort of training   
mission that just happened to come up two days before the babies were   
due.  
  
She seemed to be able to sit for ten minutes, and then have to stand for   
another ten. She felt like a damn yo-yo, up down, up down, waddle down   
the corridor to the bathroom, and then up-down again in a vicious   
repeating cycle. She couldn't wait for this to all be over, for the   
constant discomfort she was currently feeling to end.  
  
Waddling over to her shelves, she stood there for a moment wondering how   
she was going to get the book she needed down, and why the hell she had   
put it that high up in the first place. She knew why, of course, because   
a couple of weeks ago she would have been able to get at it with no   
trouble standing on her tiptoes, but now she couldn't be bothered   
exerting that much effort for a stupid book.  
  
So she shuffled back to her seat and flopped back down on it with a   
frustrated growl. Okay, so she was angry, she couldn't help herself, but   
the one time she really needed Jack to be around he wasn't. He wasn't   
supposed to go on this mission at all, or any, they had arranged with the   
General that he have a month off in and around the time the babies were   
due. That was until this mission came up and everyone that could do it   
was either injured or offworld.  
  
Even knowing that it was a routine training mission, that he could be   
contacted as soon as something happened, it did nothing to make her feel   
better. She wanted him here, now. It had only been a day, but she   
missed him. She had a nagging, irrational fear that he was somehow going   
to miss the birth.  
  
She gasped as she felt a little twinge in her lower belly, but it was   
gone almost as quick as it came, so she dismissed it as another false   
contraction. She'd had a false labor less than a week ago and ever since   
had felt the occasional twinge, that she was at the point that she could   
almost ignore them completely.  
  
A soft knock on the door startled her, though she knew it shouldn't,   
someone had been checking up on every half hour. She looked up to find   
her father standing in the doorway, an enormous grin on his face. She   
was pleasantly surprised; she hadn't heard the activation alert, then   
again, now that she was no longer an 'active' member if an SG team she   
had begun to tune out the alerts.  
  
"Dad!" she gave him an answering grin and stood from her stool with all   
the elegance her bloated form could muster.  
  
Jacob had already crossed the room and pulled her into his arms before   
she was fully standing. "Sammy. You look radiant baby." He said in her   
ear, squeezing her tightly. He pulled away to look her up and down. "Oh,   
now I'm really sorry I haven't been around more!"  
  
Sam would have laughed at his last comment if his compliment hadn't   
flustered her. Jacob had spent every spare moment he had on Earth with   
them. It equated to a couple of days every few weeks. It seemed he   
hadn't wanted to miss a single moment of her pregnancy. She had loved   
the fact that she had been able to spend so much time with him.  
  
Sam flushed, and gave her father a shy grin. "What are you doing back so   
soon? I thought you had to go on another mission?"  
  
Jacob laughed and let go of her, guiding her back down onto the stool.   
"And miss my baby girl having her babies? I didn't want to miss this   
Sammy; I wanted to be here for you and Jack. Where is he anyway?"  
  
Sam's happiness that her father was going to be there for the birth   
quickly faded away into anger again. "He's off on a training mission.   
Major Griff was supposed to be doing it, but he was injured during SG-2's   
last mission, and no one else could do it, except for Jack," she sighed.  
  
Jacob pursed his lips, looking mildly annoyed himself. "He'll be back in   
time won't he?" he asked sounding concerned.  
  
"Of course he will," Sam scoffed,"And the only reason he agreed to go was   
that he would be recalled if I went into labor early."  
  
Her father looked relieved. "That's good then, otherwise I would've had   
to kick his butt."  
  
Sam smiled, "*That* I would like to see."  
  
Jacob chuckled, his eyes dipping down to her belly. "You really do look   
wonderful, you know," he told her, a hint of sadness touching his face.   
"My baby girl is all grown up."  
  
Sam flushed again and glanced down at the table, a frown creasing her   
brow. She was going to get all emotional again soon, especially if he   
kept that up.  
  
"I'm so proud of you Sam."  
  
It was too much; no matter how hard she tried she couldn't stop the tears   
that were now flowing down her cheeks. Nor could she prevent the sobs   
that shook her shoulders a moment later. This was all too much,   
everything was too much. She wasn't ready for any of this; she wasn't   
ready for the fact that in a couple of days her life was going to change   
completely.  
  
She could hear her fathers chair scraping across the floor as he stood,   
then felt his arms wrap comfortingly around her shoulders. "What's wrong   
baby?"  
  
The feel of her father's arms around her calmed her almost instantly.   
She buried her face in his chest, feeling like she was seven years old   
again. "I'm scared Dad," she sobbed, admitting to something that had   
always tried not to. "I don't think I'm ready for this yet. I'm gonna   
mess this up, I just know it."  
  
Jacob pulled back from her slightly; cupping her chin and tilting her   
face up to look at him. He had a small smile on his face. "Sammy, you   
know your mother said exactly the same thing to me too?" he whispered,   
his voice infinitely comforting. "And look how you and Mark both turned   
out. Your mother would have been so proud of both of you."  
  
His words only prompted a fresh bout of tears. She wished her mom was   
here. She buried her face back into his chest, gripping his shirt   
tightly in her fists. He began to stroke her back slowly, humming   
gently, soothingly. "I'm worried that Jack's not going to make it back in   
time- that something's going to go wrong, with him or me and the babies.   
I just want this to be over!" she wailed.  
  
"Baby," Jacob said softly, stroking her hair. "I think every woman goes   
through this so close to their due date. Don't worry; everything is   
going to be fine, you'll see."  
  
Sam looked up at her father, her tears gone. His words made perfect   
sense, naturally, and she cursed the raging hormones and the irrational   
outbursts that they caused. She pulled out of the embrace and looked   
down at her hands feeling embarrassed and foolish.  
  
Jacob took her hands, holding them tightly in his own. "Sam, do you   
realize how lucky you are?" he asked her softly. "You're engaged to a   
great guy who would move heaven and earth to make sure you're happy.   
You're about to have two beautiful and healthy babies. You have great   
friends that are there for you when you need them. What more do you   
need?"  
  
She flushed again and looked down at her hands as she tried to dispel the   
first thought that his question had raised. My fiancé here with me now.   
But her dad was right, yet again. She was lucky, hell extremely lucky,   
to have all that in her live. She took several deep breaths to try and   
steady her erratic breathing. "Thanks, Dad."  
  
His arms snaked around her again and he gave her a brief hug. "You don't   
need to thank me baby," he responded. He pulled back once again, looking   
down into her eyes, searching for something. "Is there anything else?"  
  
Sam shook her head no, aware that Jacob would know if she was lying   
anyway. "No that's about it, Dad."  
  
"Good," he replied standing up; his eyes still full of concern. "Are you   
sure you're okay?"  
  
Sam smiled. "Yes, Dad."  
  
He stepped forward and brushed a kiss on his forehead. "I'm just going to   
go and change into some 'human' clothes," he said with a wry twist of his   
lips. It was only then that Sam noticed he was still in his Tok'ra get   
up. "Page me if you have any problems okay?"  
  
Sam smiled warmly, feeling better now that she had gotten her worries off   
her chest, now that she knew that he father was going to be here for the   
long haul. "Of course I will."  
  
Brushing another kiss on her cheek, he turned and left her lab. She   
watched him leave listlessly; missing Jack all the more now that she was   
alone. She twisted her attention back to the artifact in front of her,   
trying hard to ignore the second little twinge in her belly. Now it was   
just becoming a damned nuisance.  
  
Grabbing a couple of tools off the bench she proceeded to attempt to   
dismantle it. She had no idea what it was, and quite frankly she didn't   
really care at this point in time, she just needed something that would   
distract her. It wasn't working very well at all. Oh who am I kidding?  
  
She tossed the tools down, disgusted with herself. By all rights she   
should be at home resting, as Janet had told her many times. But she   
couldn't stay away, she was bored at home and at least here she could   
find something to do. At least here she had company nearby since Jack   
was off world.  
  
"Is everything okay Samantha Carter?"  
  
Again, she felt herself jump in surprise, though to his credit if Teal'c   
noticed he didn't let on as she turned to face him. "Oh, Teal'c!" she   
gasped, trying desperately to recompose herself. "Everything's fine   
Teal'c."  
  
He inclined his head, seemingly satisfied with her answer, though with   
Teal'c you could never tell. He stepped into the room, Daniel close on   
his heels.   
  
"Hey Sam."  
  
Sam nodded. "Daniel." It had only been the fifteenth time today they had   
said hello to each other.  
  
"Are you ready to join us for the noon meal?" Teal'c asked her. He was   
watching her like a hawk, she noticed, or more like an overprotective   
protector.  
  
Her stomach churned nauseatingly at the mention of food. "Why don't you   
go on without me? I'm not really that hungry."  
  
She could already tell by the look on Daniel's face that he wasn't going   
to take no for an answer. His arms crossed over his chest and he looked   
down his nose at her. "You know you have to eat Sam," he said   
patronizingly.  
  
Sam sighed, knowing that he was right, but still not feeling up to   
actually eating anything. It would be nice to have a change of scenery   
though. "Fine, I'll go with you then," she muttered as she stood up. Her   
stomach cramped violently, and she doubled over from the pain with a   
small moan.  
  
She heard a shuffling of feet and a strong hand wrapped around her arm.   
"Are you alright, Samantha Carter?"  
  
The pain was so intense that it almost had her on the verge of tears.   
She took several deep breaths and the pain faded away. It was then she   
noticed the wetness between her legs that confirmed everything. It was   
time.  
  
She straightened up and caught the concerned eyes of both Daniel and   
Teal'c. Daniel was looking wide-eyed at the now-wet floor under her   
feet. "I think I need to get down to the infirmary," she replied quietly,   
her words quickly spurring them into action.  
  
*******************  
  
Daniel burst into the control room, his heart in his throat with a   
combination of adrenaline and excitement. Everyone turned to look at his   
as he clattered his way breathlessly into the room, having run from the   
Infirmary. The General turned, his eyes wide, and fastened a glare on   
Daniel. It wasn't really good decorum to run around like a child when   
there wasn't an emergency.  
  
"Need ... to ... contact ... Jack," he gasped at Sergeant Davis.  
  
Davis glanced up at the General. "Why don't you catch your breath and   
then tell me what's going on son," the General told him, though he   
already had an idea what the urgency was.  
  
Daniel didn't bother paying attention to what the General had said. He   
had to get Jack back now, or they were going to have one angry woman on   
their hands really soon. "Sam," he breathed. "Her water broke ... we have   
to ... get Jack back ... NOW."  
  
He knew it wasn't good protocol to boss Hammond around, but right now he   
didn't care, but if the General was bothered by it he didn't show it. "Do   
it Sergeant."  
  
Impatiently shifting from foot to foot Daniel waiting as the address to   
the planet Jack was on was dialed up. //Did it always take this damn   
long?// He wondered impatiently. He was desperate to get back and see   
how Sam was doing.   
  
It felt like an eternity had passed when the wormhole finally engaged and   
Davis raised the Colonel on the radio. Daniel paced in oblivion until   
Jack's voice piped over the radio. "What's the problem General?" he   
asked, sounding irritated.  
  
Daniel jumped forward, butting in before the General had a chance to get   
the words out. "You gotta come back Jack," he blurted.  
  
There was a moment of silence. "What's wrong?"  
  
The General brushed past Daniel, nudging him out of the way of the   
microphone. "There's nothing wrong, son, but you do need to get back.   
Sam's just gone into labor."  
  
There was another long silence, as Jack seemed to absorb the news. "Shut   
the gate down, I'm coming back now," he said quickly, cutting the   
transmission.  
  
*******************  
  
Jack was sure he had never moved so quickly in his life. He had managed   
to get the trainees regrouped and packed in less than ten minutes; it was   
almost like they had sensed his urgency. Half an hour later they had   
reached the gate and without sparing a backward glance at the trainees he   
was off running through the corridors of the SGC.  
  
The moment he had been waiting for the last seven months was finally   
here. Soon, very soon, he was going to be a father again. It was   
suddenly scaring the crap out of him. After seven months of preparation   
and waiting, why did this have to happen to him now? It wasn't second   
thoughts, definitely not, but a nagging dread that he was going to do   
something to screw it all up.  
  
He knew it was irrational, but he couldn't help it. After Charlie, he   
guessed he couldn't blame himself. But Sam needed him to be composed at   
the moment; he couldn't let his doubts plague him. He vowed that he   
would never go down the same path he had in the past, where his work was   
more important than family. He would never do that again.  
  
Nothing was going to come between him and his family. He'd been blessed   
with this second chance and he wasn't going to blow it. Third chance, he   
realized, all too aware of how close he had come losing everything at the   
hands of Bastet. But he hadn't, he'd survived his memory almost   
completely restored, his injuries healed the scar on his face fading   
slowly.  
  
He was the luckiest man alive.  
  
He skidded to a halt just inside the doors of the Infirmary, receiving   
several curious looks as a result. Okay, so he had forgotten to stow his   
gear in his hurry to get to the Infirmary, but so what? His eyes darted   
around in room, looking for a familiar face.   
  
"Would you quit following me around?" an angry, and very familiar, female   
voice yelled in the corridor behind him.  
  
Jack felt a smile tug at his lips as he turned around to find Sam walk   
slowly past the Infirmary door in a hospital gown, Daniel and Teal'c   
walking slowly behind her attempting to obscure the gap in the back of   
her gown from any prying eyes.  
  
Grinning to himself, he quickly pulled off all his gear and dropped it on   
the Infirmary floor. Stepping back into the corridor, he walked quietly   
up behind his two friends and tapped them on their shoulders. He held a   
finger to his lips as they turned, then leaned his head in to them,   
whispering quietly,"My gear's in the Infirmary, can you move it? I'll   
take over here."  
  
Daniel nodded eagerly; seemingly keen to be away from Sam's scathing   
tongue. Teal'c inclined his head and they both moved into the Infirmary.   
Jack couldn't help his eyes roaming up and down the gap in her gown.   
//Nine months pregnant and still sexy as hell,// he smiled to himself.   
She continued walking up the corridor, oblivious to the changing of the   
guard, so to speak.  
  
Unable to contain his grin, he reached out and touched her shoulder, and   
felt her almost bristling under his touch. Her head jerked around   
angrily. "What?"  
  
Jack stood there watching her silently as her expression changed. Her   
face, flushed red with irritation, looked at him wide-eyed for a moment,   
then realization seemed to dawn on her. She threw her arms around him,   
pulling him tightly into her embrace. He wrapped his arms around her   
waist, a small laugh rising in his throat. He had missed her so much.   
"Hello to you to, baby."  
  
Pushing him back, she swung out and punched his shoulder, hard. Her face   
held a combination of anger and melancholy. "What the hell took you so   
long?" she cried, smacking him in the shoulder again for posterity.  
  
Jack had to smile; knowing it was just the stress winding her up. "I came   
as quick as I could, baby," he responded quietly, grabbing her hands and   
holding them tightly in his. Sara had been like this when she had gone   
into labor with Charlie; he'd been told then that it was pretty normal   
for the mother to be to fly off the handle a little. "But I'm here now,   
and I'm not gonna leave your side without a fight."  
  
Sam flushed and looked away from him. "You leave my side and I'll break   
your arm. This is all your ..." She stopped, her face contorting in   
agony, her hands squeezing his hard enough to produce a small cracking   
sound.  
  
Jack ignored the sudden pain as he wrapped his arms around her waist in   
time to prevent her falling as her knees gave way with the force of the   
contraction. "Ssh," he said soothingly. "It's okay, Sammy, it'll pass."  
  
Sam sucked in a deep breath and straightened as the contraction stopped.   
As she released his hand, he quickly stretched it out; relieved to find   
that it still had movement, that it wasn't broken.   
  
"How about we get you back to the Infirmary?" Jack suggested quietly,   
seeing that the contraction had taken a bit out of her. He felt her nod   
her head against his shoulder and turned them, guiding Sam slowly back   
down the corridor to her private room.  
  
*******************  
  
Jack quickly donned the scrubs that Janet had provided for him, as he   
couldn't get to the locker room to change out of his fatigues. He quickly   
moved back to Sam's side. She was lying in the bed now, truly exhausted   
after a rather long contraction. They were getting much more painful to   
her and shorter apart, meaning that the time was near.   
  
He could barely grasp the irony of it all. Several years ago he'd had his   
entire life and everything he loved ripped from him. And here he was   
being given it all back. The woman he loved and that loved him back   
unconditionally. Two new lives that they created out of their love for   
each other. A brand new start. He should be ecstatic ... but he was   
scared to death.  
  
His palms were sweating and he felt like he'd caught Sam's morning   
sickness. He was light-headed and was sure he was sheet white. He willed   
himself not to faint. That would be so not good. He had to be here for   
Sam. Her strength was draining quickly. Having a baby was hard work, but   
having twins was ... well ... harder work.   
  
He brushed his hand across Sam's forehead. Her eyes opened and she   
focused on him. He could see that the epidural was having its full effect   
on her now; her eyes were slightly glazed over, though she was still   
somewhat lucid.  
  
"Jack?" She breathed.   
  
"What is it baby?" Jack leaned in closer.   
  
"I can't do this. I'm so tired. I can't ..."  
  
"Sam don't you dare say that. You are the strongest person I know. If   
anyone can do this, you can. You have been through much worse than this,   
and this time around you get something good out of it. You get two   
beautiful and healthy babies." Jack said running his hand over her hair   
in a calming gesture.   
  
Fresh tears formed in Sam's eyes. Jack could see her struggling to hold   
them back. "I love you." She said as the tears slipped down her face.   
  
He wiped them away with the tips of his fingers. "I love you too,   
sweetheart."  
  
He felt Sam tense beside him. Her eyes snapped shut and she held her   
breath. Another contraction. Her mouth was clenched in a tight line. A   
low guttural growl emitted through the slight gap of her lips.   
  
"Breathe baby breathe." Jack urged softly beside her.  
  
Sam reached up and grasped the edge of Jack's shirt, yanking him down to   
her. "I am breathing!!" She fairly yelled at him.   
  
"I can see that, hon. And you're doing such a good job, too." Jack gasped   
out, as he was practically being strangled.  
  
Sam released his shirt, sitting nearly upright and grabbed hold of the   
bed rails to ride out the contraction. Jack smoothed his hand over Sam's   
hair and down her back in a comforting motion. At that moment Janet   
walked into the room, and he was glad to say the least.   
  
"How are we doing?" Janet asked taking a peek at the latest on Sam's   
chart.   
  
Sam slumped back against the bed, breathing hard, sweat beads having   
formed on her forehead. "How does it look like I am doing?!" Sam snapped.   
  
"Oh, I'd say it shouldn't be much longer." Janet smiled, not at all   
offended by Sam's outburst, though Jack did smile sheepishly.  
  
Janet put the clipboard back down, and raised the sheet covering the   
lower half of Sam's body. Jack watched as Janet ducked her head to   
examine Sam's current status. "Hmm..."  
  
"What is it?" Jack asked curiously.   
  
"Shouldn't be much longer at all. You're eight centimeters dilated, Sam."   
Janet smiled reassuringly.  
  
"Good because ... HOLY CRAP!!!" Sam jerked upward again grasping the   
railings again, her face contorted in pain and concentration.   
  
Jack reached over to rub her back again to try to ease her suffering, and   
was rewarded with a right hook to his chin. The impact knocked him   
backwards, though not off his feet. He could swear he saw stars floating   
in front of him.   
  
"This is all your fault." Sam yelled at him her fist still raised.  
  
Jack had a dazed expression on his face and Janet took pity on him, and   
drew Sam's attention away from him. "Sam are the meds still working?"  
  
Sam swung her head around her face reflecting the pain she was in, her   
eyes flashing with anger. "They wore off three hours ago. So no they   
aren't still working."   
  
Janet frowned. "I'm sorry Sam, but I can't give you anymore, without   
them affecting the babies. It would be too much of a risk."  
  
Sam leaned back against the bed again in defeat. "I know," She   
whispered, her anger diminishing as quickly as it appeared.   
  
Jack eased his way back over to her, and took her hand into his   
reassuringly. Janet smiled at the couple, as she got one last idea.   
  
"There is one more option. I could give you the gas..."  
  
Jack's brows nearly reached his hairline. "Doc? Is that such a good idea   
... I mean, doesn't Sam have enough to worry about now without adding ...   
errr ... gas to the equation?"  
  
Heedless of her pain, Sam let a giggle escape. "Not that kind of gas,   
Jack."   
  
"The local anesthetic type ... you know ... gas mask?" Janet offered   
forcing down a laugh.  
  
"Well of course. I knew that." Jack mumbled ducking his head and fiddling   
with Sam's delicate looking fingers.   
  
Sam smiled at him sincerely before turning her attention back to Janet.   
"No I want to be conscious for this. I want to know when my babies are   
born."  
  
Janet smiled softly. "Okay Sam. It won't be much longer before you won't   
even have that option. Are you sure this is how you want to do this?"  
  
"Yes, I'm sure." Sam smiled through the tears slipping down her face.  
  
Sam barely noticed when Janet left the room. Her head was lying on the   
small cushion behind her. Maybe she should have considered Janet's   
option. No, she thought. I made the right decision. What was a little   
discomfort, when in the end the results would be so good? Two little   
miracles. Two miracles that were her very own. Hers and Jack's. The   
thought made her pain shrink in comparison. She could handle the pain.   
  
Not realizing she had been crying until Jack was wiping the tears away   
with his fingers. "Sammy, it'll be over soon. I promise. And then we can   
start our lives together. All four of us." He choked on the last.  
  
Sam opened her eyes and saw Jack had tears running down his face. She   
reached up as in a trance and brushed them away lightly with her   
fingertips.   
  
"I love you." She mouthed, not able to speak.   
  
"I love you too." Jack's lips moved in the same fashion as hers. They   
were both too overcome with emotion to manage to speak. But they didn't   
have to. They could see the feelings emanating from the others' eyes. In   
a blink of an eye their lives flashed before them.  
  
"I love you too." Jack's lips moved in the same fashion as hers. They   
were both too overcome with emotion to manage to speak. But they didn't   
have to. They could see the feelings emanating from the others' eyes. In   
a blink of an eye their lives flashed before them.   
  
The day they met in that briefing room, challenging the other.  
  
I recognize the way you make me feel  
  
Stranded in a frozen cave, in the realms of a frigid desert of ice.   
  
It's hard to think that   
You might not be real   
  
Bars separating them. One possessed by a symbiote. The other looking on   
in pain, struggling to ignore his feelings.   
  
I sense it now, the water's getting deep   
I try to wash the pain away from me  
  
One gripped by the devices of the Ancients, losing the ability to   
function normally. The other helplessly unable to do anything.  
  
'Cause you're everywhere to me   
  
One implanted with a symbiote. The other watching as he is frozen to   
prevent attachment.   
  
And when I close my eyes it's you I see  
  
One watching distantly as the other kisses her alternate self, a   
dimension separating them. Pain ripping through her. Sadness engulfing   
him.   
  
You're everything I know   
That makes me believe  
  
Both being tortured by a satanic being. Stripped from the other. Holding   
onto their sanity.   
  
I'm not alone  
  
One abandoned on a planet. One fighting to get the other home.   
  
I'm not alone   
  
One walking away shouting; angry. Hurt radiating from the other. Regret   
and pain evident on both faces.   
  
And when I touch your hand   
It's then I understand  
  
One inviting the other to go fishing. Hesitation. Hope. Anticipation.   
Then a beam of light and he is gone.   
  
The beauty that's within   
It's now that we begin   
  
A force field separating each other. Panic. Anguish. They each fear for   
the other's life. One urges the other to leave, the other refuses. They   
remain together.   
  
You always light my way   
I hope there never comes a day  
  
Hundreds of feet below the surface, unaware of whom they really are,   
unaware of where they belong. Trust in the other their only lifeline.   
  
No matter where I go   
I always feel you so   
  
Cold vastness of space. One delirious and losing oxygen in a glider. The   
other staring out a ship's window, unsure how to save him. So close, yet   
so far away.   
  
'Cause you're everywhere to me  
  
One lying on an infirmary bed. Lifeless. Machines the only thing keeping   
her alive. The other sitting by her bedside, powerless to do anything.   
Dying inside himself.   
  
And when I catch my breath   
It's you I breathe   
  
One searching for the other in a cavernous complex; desperation rising to   
find her in time. The other hoping ... knowing he will come for her.   
  
You're everything I know   
That makes me believe   
I'm not alone  
  
One blind and dependent. The other guilty and caring. Coming together for   
the first time in each other's arms. Their love for the other finally   
expressed fully.   
  
I'm not alone  
  
Sam and Jack held each other's gaze for what seemed an eternity.   
Clutching onto the other; seeing the memories flash through the other's   
eyes. Emotions flitting across their faces. Sam's face was wet from tears   
falling unbidden from her vivid blue eyes. Jack tried to suppress the   
tears threatening to fall from his own eyes, however failing. Their tears   
mingled on their joined hands. A sign of their past. A symbol of their   
strong love.  
  
Sam cringed as another contraction hit her full force. She gasped,   
sobbing. It was the most painful she'd had. Jack was holding one of her   
hands as he supported her back with her other. She breathed and gasped.   
She flung her head back, after the wave had passed. Physically and   
emotionally drained, she lay staring up at Jack.   
  
"Jack. I want my Dad. I want you both here with me." Sam's face was pale   
and drawn. But her eyes were aware.   
  
Leaning down, he ran his hand down the side of her face, cupping her   
cheek. He brought his lips to meet hers. He kissed her as though if he   
stayed there long enough, he could take away her pain. Or maybe give her   
his strength. He lifted his head opening his eyes to look at her. Her   
face was still pale, but she was more peaceful.   
  
"Okay. I'll get him for you. I'll be right back." He said softly.   
  
Before he made his way to the door, he ran the backs of his hands over   
his eyes, wiping the lingering tears from his face. He smiled.  
  
*******************  
  
Jacob Carter felt like he must have worn massive grooves into the floor   
of the corridor from pacing up and down for the past several hours. How   
long had it been now? Ten? Eleven? He had completely lost track of   
time. Now he was thankful that he had stopped wearing a watch, otherwise   
the wait would have driven him insane.  
  
Every time he heard Sam cry out the sound tore at his heart. He had to   
fight back the urge to race into that room, to take his daughters hand   
and help coach her through the birth. It was out of his hands, though,   
she wasn't his baby girl any longer and it was her husband-to-be in there   
in his rightful place, waiting for his children to be born.  
  
He hated waiting. In fact, he was beginning to hate it with a vengeance.   
He spared a glance at Daniel, who seemed to be sleeping at the moment.   
Jacob knew he wasn't, if anything the younger man was coiled tighter than   
he was. Whenever Sam yelled out he was up out of his seat and pacing   
again in a heartbeat, just like a brother would.  
  
The thought brought a pang of guilt to Jacob's heart. Mark should be   
here for this; he should be here for his sister. He wondered if anyone   
had even contacted Mark to tell him. He knew that he should, right this   
minute, but things still weren't great between them, and he didn't want   
to move from this spot in case he missed something.  
  
He sighed, forcing himself not to think about it. This was Sam's day,   
Sam and Jack's, and he wasn't going to ruin it by regretted the mistakes   
he had made in the past.  
  
A strangled yell yanked his attention back to the door to Sam's room just   
as it was yanked open. Jack's head appeared around the door, wide-eyed   
and anxious and a vivid purple bruise blossoming on his cheek. "Jacob!   
There you are!" he said, his voice strained, but cheerful. "Get in here   
will ya!"  
  
Jacob glanced down at Daniel, who had twisted in his chair to look up at   
Jack, as his mind fought to comprehend that his wishes had just been   
answered. "Are you sure?"  
  
Jack's arm snaked around to doorframe, gripping Jacob's arm firmly. "Of   
course I am. We both want you in here."  
  
He didn't need to think twice about it. He was in the room before Jack   
had a chance to step back completely. It was a shock at first, to see   
his daughter like that, legs up in the stirrups, sweat pouring down her   
face, her eyes glazed with pain. As horrifying as it looked, it was a   
good thing. He was going to be a grandfather again.  
  
He made it to her bedside in one large step and gathered her hand in his   
as he brushed a kiss across her forehead. Her head turned in his   
direction and she smiled pitifully as she caught his eye. She looked   
exhausted. "Dad," she panted, still struggled to recover from her last   
contraction. "I'm glad you're here."  
  
Jacob patted her hand and grinned down at her. "Me too, baby."  
  
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jack moving back to Sam's other side   
and pick up a plastic cup. He picked out a piece of ice and gently hold   
it against Sam's lips. It still amazed Jacob, the amount of tenderness   
that Jack showed towards Sam.  
  
"How far along is she?"  
  
Jack tore his eyes from Sam. "She's fully dilated. We're in the home   
stretch now," he replied quietly, placing the cup back on the backside   
table and brushing Sam's hair from her forehead.  
  
Jacob felt her tense for a moment before the next contraction hit, then   
the room burst into action as she cried out, squeezing his hand tightly   
in hers at the same moment. He stifled the small groan growing in his   
throat. He hadn't realized that Sam was so strong.  
  
"It's okay, Sam," Jack told her soothingly. "Just breathe."  
  
"Would you QUIT telling me to breathe! I know what I HAVE to do Jack!"   
she snapped loudly, squeezing Jacob's hand even harder.  
  
"Sam," Janet spoke softly, the first thing she had said since Jacob had   
entered the room. "The baby's head is starting to crown, I need you to   
push."  
  
"I can't," Sam breathed, her voice twisted with agony as she flopped back   
down on the bed, the contraction over for the moment.  
  
Her eyes slid shut as she panted, trying to recover herself before the   
next contraction hit. It wouldn't take long either. Jacob watched her,   
his chest bursting with pride. She looked haggard and exhausted, yet her   
face still carried a look of grim determination. //That's my Sammy.//  
  
Jacob caught Jack's eyes long enough to shoot him a smile. Jack grinned   
back, showing that Sam's outbursts were not bothering him in the least.   
He had been through this before, after all, he must have expected the   
irritability. Jack broke the contact and leaned over Sam, kissing her   
forehead tenderly.  
  
"You're doing so well, honey," he whispered to her, his lips still   
brushing the skin of her face. "It's nearly over ... you'll be holding   
our babies in no time." Sam's eyes opened slightly and she smiled   
tiredly in response, her fingers tightening slightly on Jacob's hand.  
  
Then too soon the moment was over. Her eyes widened and a moan of pain   
tore from her throat. She sat up, tightening her grip on Jacob's hand   
again. He ignored it as he leaned closer and echoed Jack's words.   
"Breathe, Sammy," he told her, the Lamaze training he had had all those   
years before coming back to him.  
  
"Push Sam," Janet grated, sounding like she was talking through clenched   
teeth. "Push, you can do it!"  
  
Sam's face scrunched up, her face a mask of agony as she tried her best   
to comply with Janet's orders. Her gripped tightened on his hand, as she   
pushed with all her might. He leaned closer to her and could see Jack   
was doing the same. "Come on Sam, your doing so well," he whispered   
encouragingly. "Push!"  
  
"The baby's head is out hon ... just one more push!" Janet told her.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jack dart off to stand behind Janet,   
excitement shining in his face. Janet glanced back at him, a smile   
tugging at her lips. "Do you want to do the honors Dad?"  
  
Sam's eyes shot open, Jacob twisted to look at the doctor and his future   
son-in-law. His mouth was agape with surprise. "What?" Jack asked   
stupidly. "I ... I don't know anything about delivering babies!"  
  
Janet laughed and stood quickly; guiding Jack into her vacated seat as a   
nurse shoved a pair of latex gloves into his hands. "Don't worry Jack,   
I'll be right here. All you have to do is support the baby as it comes   
out."  
  
Jacob watched the scene before him with amazement then he saw the look on   
Janet's face and the glance she sent in Sam's direction. They had   
planned this; they had planned for Jack to deliver the babies. He smiled   
to himself as he turned his attention back to his daughter. He leaned in   
closer to her. "Come on baby ... push ... let's give Jack the thrill of   
his life."  
  
"Okay Sam. We need one more big push." Janet urged hovering over Jack's   
shoulder.  
  
Sam inhaled deeply and gripped Jacob's hand with sudden strength. She   
clenched her eyes closed as she pushed her firstborn into the world. She   
fell back against the pillows in sheer exhaustion, her breath coming in   
ragged gasps.  
  
A thick silence descended on the room for a brief moment, before a tiny   
but harsh cry echoed around the room. Jacob felt the small fear   
clutching at his heart disappear at the sound. "It's Rachel," Jack   
replied, his voice choked with more emotion than Jacob had ever heard.  
  
*******************  
  
Janet wasn't a hundred percent certain, but the more she watched Jack the   
more she thought that he might be crying. Rachel's wails still filled   
the room, but he hadn't made a move since. The only movement he seemed   
to be making was a subtle shaking of his shoulders, the movement making   
her think that maybe, just maybe, the rough tough Colonel was crying.  
  
She glanced at Sam, to find her sagged back against her pillows, Jacob's   
arms wrapped protectively around her. Her eyes were focused on Jack   
though, like she was trying to see through all the obstacles that lay   
between them to see their new baby.  
  
Janet moved then, touching Jack gently on the shoulder. There were no   
tears in his eyes as he looked up at her, but a look of profound joy that   
she had never seen in his face before. He grinned and looked down at his   
daughter again, her tiny form cradled in arms that suddenly looked   
massive in comparison.  
  
He seemed to know Janet's intent without her having to utter a word. He   
raised Rachel up slightly, offering her to Janet, but she quickly shook   
her head as the nurse handed her the instruments she needed. She could   
feel Jack's eyes on her as she quickly and expertly clamped and cut the   
umbilical cord and moved away again.  
  
She tried to fight back the irrational pang of jealousy she felt as she   
watched Jack stand, clutching Rachel protectively in his arms, gathering   
the towel tighter around her. He moved around the bedside and perched   
himself next to Sam, placing the baby gently into her outstretched arms.   
Tears flowed down her friend's cheeks, her face lit with joy.  
  
Jack leaned his head in close to her and whispered something that made   
her smile grow and a small chuckle left her throat. Janet couldn't help   
herself; she could feel her own tears building in her throat, tears of   
happiness for this couple who had both suffered through so much. She   
swatted the errant things from her cheeks, not willing to let on to her   
staff that this was affecting her.  
  
But Sam glanced at her then, and Janet knew that Sam was one of the few   
people that could read her like a book. Her eyes pleaded at Janet to   
come over, and she couldn't help herself, her feet moving with her own   
accord. She couldn't help grinning at the tiny form lying there, now   
silent, in her mother's arms. What she didn't expect was Sam to hold   
Rachel up to her, offering her a hold of her baby even before her own   
father.  
  
Janet glanced quickly at Jacob, feeling guilty that she'd get to hold his   
granddaughter before him. If he was bothered by it he didn't show it.   
His grin was nearly as large as the proud parent's, as he nodded to her   
happily. Carefully, she gathered the precious little life into her arms,   
careful not to jostle her too much.   
No sooner had Sam released Rachel than another contraction struck her.   
She cried out tiredly, arching her back and sitting forward on the bed   
again. Handing the baby to the nurse so she could clean her up, Janet   
sprang into action, resuming the stool that Jack had just vacated to   
examine the progress.  
  
Janet could hear both Jack and Jacob whispering to her, trying to get Sam   
to breathe again. Janet's heart went out to her, she was exhausted, and   
now she had to go through it all again. A quick glance told Janet all   
she needed to know. Baby Jacob was ready to come into the world.  
  
She stood and caught Jack's eye. His eyes were wide. He looked like the   
happiest man alive. "Ready to do the honors?" she asked him. His grin   
widened more than she thought was possible and he practically bounded   
back to the stool.  
  
Janet stepped back, and once more surveyed the scene before her. She   
still could not rid herself of the nagging jealousy she felt. Jack was   
perched on the stool, his head popping up and down as he murmured   
encouragement to Sam. Jacob had his arms wrapped firmly around her   
shoulders, almost like he was trying to give his strength to her.  
  
You could almost feel the love in the room. The corniness of the thought   
made Janet smile, but it was the only way to describe it, and she felt   
left out. It was silly, she knew that, but she couldn't help herself.   
The worst thing was she wished it was her on that bed, that it was   
Daniel's arms wrapped around her, supporting her as she brought their   
baby into the world.  
  
She groaned inwardly and opened eyes she hadn't realized she had closed.   
That was corny, and stupid. But the more she watched Sam and Jack in the   
last couple of months, the more the thought appealed to her. She wanted   
to have a baby; she wanted to have a baby with Daniel. She knew he   
wanted to, he had told her several times, in fact, that he wanted to   
start a family.  
  
Now, she was ready, her decision was firm. She only hoped that Cassie   
would support this decision with the same fervor that she had when she   
found out that they were engaged. Janet knew she would support the   
decision, she would have to, otherwise she might find herself just having   
to accept it.  
  
"Push Sammy, he's almost out!"  
  
Jack's raised voice drew her out of her musings. She moved closer to   
Jack, ready to jump in if there was the slightest hint of something   
wrong. The baby's head was out, and one push was all he needed. She   
could hear Sam straining, the gently murmur of Jacob's voice as he   
encouraged her, Janet found herself adding her own voice to his.  
  
Then it was over. Sam gave a great gasping breath and fell back against   
the pillows, panting heavily, as baby Jacob's cries filled the room.   
Janet moved as before, quickly clamping and cutting the umbilical cord.   
She glanced quickly at Jack, and stopped in surprise.  
  
He was crying, his normally unreadable face a swirl of emotions as tears   
made silent tracks down his face. Janet could not even begin to   
understand what must be going through his mind, though she was pretty   
certain the events of the last few months must be pretty predominant in   
them. He had been to hell and back and he's survived, hell, he'd   
flourished.  
  
Janet reached out her hand and touched his shoulder, drawing his gaze   
from his newborn son to herself. His face lit up with elation, his grin   
so contagious that Janet had to smile back. If she had any doubts that   
he was still suffering from what Bastet had done to him they were gone   
now.  
  
"He's beautiful, isn't he?" he whispered, his eyes drifting back down to   
his son. "Jacob and Rachel, they're both as beautiful as their mother."  
  
Janet smiled warmly, savoring the moment. Jack O'Neill never expressed   
emotion like he was right now. She squeezed his shoulder gently and took   
her first good look at Jacob. He was gorgeous; he had all the best   
attributes of both his parents.  
  
"He's gorgeous Jack," she whispered back. "How about we let mom take a   
look at her son?"  
  
He nodded and stood, cradling Jacob against his chest and moving slowly,   
as if afraid that he might break him. He turned back to her, his face   
serious. "Thank you Janet."  
  
"You don't need to thank me Jack," she responded quietly.  
  
"Yeah I do, you've done so much for me and Sam in the last few months. I   
don't think we could ever make it up to you ... and Daniel."  
  
He had made it to Sam's side, gently handing Jacob to her. Janet watched   
with amusement as he leant over and pulled a little face at the baby and   
made a little cooing sound before straightening up and meeting her eyes   
again. Would Daniel be like this with their babies if they had any?  
  
"You don't need to make anything up to us Jack," she scoffed, craning her   
neck to look up at him.  
  
"Yeah I do," he grinned.  
  
Before she had a chance to react he reached out and pulled her into his   
arms, lifting her off the ground in a fierce bear hug. He pressed a kiss   
to her forehead. She flushed bright red and he put her back down and   
stepped away from her, leaving her completely flustered.  
  
"How about we go and make an announcement to everyone waiting out there?"  
  
Janet nodded dully, her mind still reeling from Jack's exuberant mood.   
He took her hand and pulled her after him. A small smile grew on her   
face as she thought of Daniel acting like this, completely and utterly   
overjoyed at the life he had helped create coming into the world. Yes,   
she was definitely ready for her life to move in that direction.  
  
As she watched Daniel's reaction to Jack's joyous news, as she felt   
herself smothered again in Daniel's embrace she resolved that she would   
tell him, tonight, that she was ready to take the next, major, step in   
their relationship.  
  
*******************  
  
Sam and Jack pulled up in front of their house in Janet's car. They'd   
decided that it wasn't such a good idea to use Jack's truck, as it wasn't   
child-safe. And Sam's Volvo was out of the question. So Janet had   
insisted they use her car until they got a family car of their own.   
  
"Besides," Janet had told them, "I always have wanted to drive Jack's   
truck." They'd all laughed over that and had agreed to the proffered   
arrangements.   
  
Jack got out of the car and rushed to the passenger side to help Sam out   
and proceeded to remove the Rachel and Jacob from the back seat.   
  
He unhooked the safety harnesses and lifted first Rachel's car seat out,   
handing her to Sam. He then went to work on Jake's. "All right Jake   
lil' buddy, we're home."  
  
The infant's mouth lifted in what could be taken for a smile, Jack wasn't   
sure, but his caused his heart to constrict nonetheless. As he shut the   
car door, he turned and faced his beautiful fiancé ... the mother of his   
children.   
  
He could barely believe he was living this. Since Rachel and Jacob were   
born a day ago, he'd been pinching himself; sure he'd wake up from this   
dream. But it wasn't a dream. This was his life. His and Sam's life.   
  
He had finally managed to do something right in his life, and this time   
he wasn't going to take anything for granted. He was going to live each   
day as if it were a precious gift.   
  
Sam cocked her head sideways and said something. He shook himself out of   
his musings and smiled.   
  
"Something wrong, Jack?" Sam asked a small worried smile on her face.   
  
Jack looked down at Jacob, and to Rachel, and then his gaze shifted to   
Sam. "No. Actually everything's right."  
  
Sam's smile melted his heart. Her happiness overwhelmed him; flowing   
over him like a blanket of sunshine. If he ever had any doubts that he   
was going to fail with his new life, they disappeared. If anyone had   
told him a year ago what his life would be like now, he would have   
laughed at them. But now ... now he would grab the person and hug them,   
and tell them that they should try the happiness thing themselves.   
  
He walked over to Sam and put his free arm around her as they made their   
way up to the front door. As soon as they were inside, they quietly   
found their way in the nursery. They carefully lay the twins into the   
cradle. It had to be an unconscious occurrence, because they weren't old   
enough yet to turn on their own, but Rachel turned her head towards   
Jacob, and Jacob turned his towards Rachel; the unseen bond already   
forming.   
  
Jack brought Sam in front of him, putting his arms around her. He   
settled his chin onto the top of her head, holding her close. A sigh of   
utter contentment escaped her lips.   
  
Jack leaned down and whispered into her ear. "What are you thinking   
about?"  
  
Sam twined her fingers through one of Jack's hands around her waist. She   
looked up into his face and smiled. "I was just wondering how we got so   
lucky."  
  
Jack's mouth turned up as he stared into the eyes of the woman he loved.   
"I don't know. It happened, and I won't question why. I'm just going to   
enjoy it and live life to the fullest with you and these little guys by   
my side."  
  
  
~ Finis ~ 


End file.
